In Exodus 20:4, God tells Moses, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.” God is making it clear that we are not to create or worship anything in place of Him. Here’s an interesting thought, humans are made in the image of God. Does that mean it’s okay to elevate or even “worship” people? Obviously not. Still, it does show that we can see glimpses of God and His work through others. That’s why verses like Matthew 25:40 stand out, where Jesus says, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” There’s a healthy way to live in community by loving others, serving others, and seeing God at work through them. There’s also a subtle danger that people can become idols in our lives, even pastors or spiritual leaders.
I’ve seen this in my own life. Before my faith was truly rooted in Jesus, it was often built on the people around me. If my sister didn’t go to youth group, I wouldn’t go either. If my friends weren’t signing up for a mission trip, I wouldn’t be interested. Looking back, those people had quietly become idols, not because of anything they did, but because of where I placed them in my heart. I treated my faith like it was about me and what I could get out of it, instead of about God. I also experienced the opposite. In middle school, when I started making Jesus my foundation, things began to shift. I remember times when my family was out of town, and I would find a ride to church anyway, just because I wanted to spend that time with Him. In college, I learned to engage in worship even when the music wasn’t perfect, and to listen to sermons from pastors I didn’t agree with on everything, while still holding onto what was true. That’s when faith becomes real, when it’s no longer dependent on people, but grounded in Jesus.
So a question to reflect on is, if the people closest to you, even your pastor, walked away from their faith, would you still follow Jesus? Jesus isn’t just a set of rules or a distant idea. He is personal, present, and inviting you into a real relationship. Today, you have the opportunity to turn your heart away from idols and toward the steady, unchanging love of Christ. Start with something as simple as just praying.