Idols of the Heart

In Ezekiel 14, the elders of Israel came to Ezekiel asking for prayer, but they had set up idols in their hearts. An idol of the heart can be anything we put before God—anything that takes precedence over, or replaces, our loyalty and devotion to Him.

In our minds, we often think God is first—but is He really? Sometimes we have idols set up in our hearts without even realizing it. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal if you have any idols in your heart as you examine yourself.

Sidebar: A Personal Example

I love to work out. Years ago, I heard the Holy Spirit say, “It’s easy for you to miss praying or reading the Word of God—you say you’ll do it later, and sometimes later never comes—but you don’t miss your workouts.”

Ouch—hallelujah! It hurt my feelings a little, but it was true. So, I started getting up early to study, read, and go on my prayer walks. My workouts had become an idol of the heart in my life.

Working out is good, but as a child of God, I shouldn’t have placed it before Him or given it more importance than spending time in His presence.

The elders of Israel wanted God’s help but not His ways. Sadly, this describes many people today—even some within the Church. It once described me, but thank God the Holy Spirit continues to help me.

We want to do things our way. We want what we want—when we want it. But thank God, I’ve learned to love His correction. Only He can get the glory for that!

When correction comes, I ask the Holy Spirit for help. I now understand that I can’t do any of this on my own—in my own strength, abilities, or through self-made methods. I need HELP.

Praise God—He is our very present Help! The Word says, “Apart from Me, you can do nothing.”

The elders of Israel, like many today, wanted God to deliver them from their situation but didn’t want to obey His Word. We want salvation and the appearance of holiness without giving up our sin. But idolatry is sin.

I know from experience that old habits are hard to break. The things we’ve done for years—things not bad in themselves—can become idols in our hearts without us realizing it.

An idol is anything more important in your life than God. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal those idols and help you prioritize God first—He is the Helper!

God knows who is truly seeking deliverance and who loves their sin and desires to remain the same.

No Other Gods

We are to have no other gods before Him. This is the first of the Ten Commandments. An idol isn’t always a carved image you bow down to—it can be anything or anyone you put before God. It can be anything or anyone we look to for help and deliverance.

It can be your career, money, church, pastor, spouse, or children. These are all good and important things that we should love and care for—but the Word of God says, “Anyone who loves father, mother, son, or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:37–38).

That applies to anything!

Prioritize Your Relationship with God

God wants us to prioritize our relationship with Him. We are to take up our cross daily and follow Him. This doesn’t mean you don’t love your family, church, or job—it simply means that nothing should come before God.

We must regularly evaluate our lives and see what holds priority. If it isn’t God, make the correction.

Life can get busy and hectic, and it’s easy to lose focus. That’s why it’s so important to keep God at the forefront of everything. He should be involved in every aspect of our lives.

Each day, we should seek Him so He can direct our paths. The Holy Spirit is still working on me in this area. I, too, get busy and lose focus, but He always reminds and refocuses me.

I ask the Holy Spirit to do this because I know myself—and that’s why we must stay connected to God through a true relationship, not religion.

A Personal Call

We’ve got to do better—and I’m talking to myself first! I ask for the Lord’s correction in my life because where I spend eternity matters deeply to me.

I don’t want anyone or anything to come before God. It doesn’t mean I don’t love my family; it means I have my priorities in order.

Let’s keep our eyes on the prize—Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Final Questions

When you stand before God, will He say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant”? Or will He say, “Depart from Me, you worker of iniquity, for I never knew you”?

The choice is ours. Choose Him first!