Idolatry
The fifth “work of the flesh” listed in
Galatians 5 is “idolatry.” We tend to think of “idolatry”
as setting up statues and worshipping them. Yet, the word is broader,
and more applicable to our own situations, than we tend to assume.
For example, Paul, in Colossians 3:5 says, “put to death your members
which are on the earth...covetousness, which is idolatry.” The
desire for material things is a form of idolatry.
William Barclay succinctly writes in his commentary on Galatians, “It is
the sin in which material things have taken the place of God.”
Has working overtime for extra money interfered with your worship of
God? Has the pursuit of material wants caused you to neglect helping
others with their material needs? Is the accumulation of earthly
treasures a greater focus in your life than spiritual pursuits? Beware
of idolatry!
November 2006