Black American Idol 2

This post is a painful, personal testimony.  I have learned firsthand that God hates idols.  I have also learned that God loves his people.  Because God hates idols, and God loves his people, then God will sometimes allow the idols in the lives of his people come to ruin so that his people will have no choice but to love God with all their heart, all their mind and all their strength. 

My idol was a relationship.  At the time it meant more to me than anything, even God.  I put that person above all other things, including God.  At the time I did not recognize what I was doing.  Then God blew on the relationship and it fell apart.  That was probably 3 years ago.  For 21 months and counting I have taken no meat, nor sweets as a fast.  I pray daily and ask God to restore the relationship.  He has yet to answer my prayer.  Though the pain is real, and at times (today is one of those times) crippling and maddening; it has revealed to me the kindness God has shown me in my suffering.  But I am getting off topic.

Brothers and Sisters, be warned if your idol is a person.  Be warned if you have compromised a single step of your walk with God for anyone.  Be warned if you believe in Jesus, repent of your sins, are a member of the body of Christ; and you have a person who you love more than God.  Be warned I say!!!!! 
I have learned this and I hope someone reads this and also learns--God will not be mocked, and he will not be second place!!!!  Your foolish idol worship may carry a price tag you are not willing pay.  Yes, I know, we are under grace and Jesus paid it all.  But God still punishes sin and chastises his children as every loving father does.

Black people, we love our folks.  We love our wives, children, husbands, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends, sisters, brothers and play cousins.  We are a people with great emotional ties to people.  We love our celebrities too.  We love our pop singers, rappers, actors, pastors, and our President.  It's a holiday weekend, so I will keep this short.  Don't ever love a person more than you love God.  People enter our lives, exit our lives, and come back into our lives, but God is constant.  Don't ever worship someone because they can sing, act, preach, or read a teleprompter.  God gave them those talents, so why praise the gifted when you can worship the gift maker and the gift giver?

Remember, brothers and sisters, keep God first.