It was the first day of 2014, in a crowded family room and one the wisemen in my family asked the screaming young ones in an effort to settle them down,that if they collectively name the 10 commandments they would get a treat. It was then that my 5 yr old cousin went “you shall not worship iphone.” We all paused then burst out laughing,obviously confused he went “yes! mommy told me”.
This on the drive back home got me thinking about idols in general.
They say home is where the wi-fi connects,thus if you enter any household and the wi-fi connects you are in fact home.This then means that where you get home and the shopping is put down then afterwards its settling down time when everyone gathers in the living room for a little family time.The TV comes on and after a few minutes you notice no one is fighting over the remote or on what to watch and it is in fact 4 or more of you present. Curious because the TV is as much 3D as it is Smart and measuring at about 51 inches,it should be an attractive notion to look at,I am thinking.
Now this is odd to me because growing up there would always be a fight for the old TV,one wants to watch Michael Jackson on the VHS,the other wants to play a game on the Sega,but its news time etc etc.
Upon further inspection you realise you are on your smart phone and your other half on hers/his.The other 2 are equally as engaged in their own activities one is their on handheld games console and the other ones are just as busy on the several tablet in the household (naturally).The TV is just there purely to guide you where the furniture points towards.Perhaps a little background noise with all these +boxes,+decoders,recordable gadgets no one really watches TV like before,at least I don’t.
Looking at my phone and seeing how much time I spend on it was an eye opener,though I don’t worship my phone per se, it got me thinking about how Israel was taking God’s gifts given to them and using the very same blessings to worship other gods with.
I refer to the time they melted all the jewellery they had and made a golden calf out of that.(I find it interesting that the very first tablet was broken at this point, remember Moses threw the tablets in anger and they broke, hidden message perhaps?I don’t know.) Now don’t go getting excited throwing all your gadgets around now breaking everything in sight, now that would just be silly,and I am not saying they are evil either.People do evil,Gadgets ………not so much.
IDOLATRY:
Limbiley's Blog 
Hi there Limbilely,
I’m glad I found your blog…very insightful stuff! When I saw the title of this post in a list of posts you have written, I have to admit, I told myself not to look at it. Not bc I disagree, but that I actually have been meaning to write on this topic soon also! (I generally don’t like to read something similar to or along the same lines of something I plan to write in fear it will somehow influence what I was going to say)…
Anyway, this is obviously a topic that is on the heart of God to be speaking to so many people about it. I have read at least 3 different blog posts over the past few weeks having to do directly or indirectly with the idolizing of our phones, etc.
I was glad to find you had yet another perspective on the topic, and that God makes us all unique in how we communicate with the world around us! I especially love how even your 5 yo cousin could make this distinction and absolutely LOVE your description of the first “tablet” ever broken…very clever and relevant at the same time! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Oh there you are!
Joining you now.
Haha….sorry for the double comments! I had trouble posting from my phone…go figure…lol! Anyway, I definitely agree with you about seeing God at work in everything…it makes life that much more of an adventure!
Don’t it just,sorry I went into a tangent again.
Hope I will see you again (in a manner of speaking)
Hi there Limbilely,
I’m glad I found your blog…very insightful stuff! When I saw the title of this post in a list of posts you have written, I have to admit, I told myself not to look at it. Not bc I disagree, but that I actually have been meaning to write on this topic soon also! (I generally don’t like to read something similar to or along the same lines of something I plan to write in fear it will somehow influence what I was going to say)…
Anyway, this is obviously a topic that is on the heart of God to be speaking to so many people about it. I have read at least 3 different blog posts over the past few weeks having to do directly or indirectly with the idolizing of our phones, etc.
I was glad to find you had yet another perspective on the topic, and that God makes us all unique in how we communicate with the world around us! I especially love how even your 5 yo cousin could make this distinction and absolutely LOVE your description of the first “tablet” ever broken…very clever and relevant at the same time! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Well you flatter me, mostly I am just glad you found something that you liked,
It’s all about seeing God in every little thing that. Happens around us.
I wish I could find your blog and join you as well.Am sure it would be fun.
In any case am sure our paths will cross again either in the flesh or in spirit.
God bless you,
Your spiritual black brother 🙂
I honestly enjoy your blog and writing. So true about the TV is just there purely to guide you where the furniture points (had to smile there sorry) and how there used to be a time everyone fought over the remote. Its all so true. I have successfully managed to live without the I-Phone or a few weeks now, and the tv has just never been set up or installed for months, prioritizing:) and the strange thing is, no one has ever asked or bothered about setting it up, just shows that there is too much to begin with. Once again, thanks for a great read. xxx
Thanks for your kind comments,you know when setting up the livingroom its always where is the TV going then we can point the seats/chairs/couch towards it,imagine the fun if you only had a window.You would need a book shelf,countless hours staring at books.
Those words are truer than true. Its what we train ourselves to do, no matter what it is. Happy you liked the side panel post (I had to go back and practice it again to make sure I remembered lol…:)
Fun — and actually very serious post, I’m glad I read it! Your line, “People do evil. Gadgets… not so much” reminds me of a quote from GK Chesterton: “there are no bad things, but only bad uses of things.” (From his book The Dumb Ox, a biography of St. Thomas Aquinas.) For, as we know, “God looked at everything he had made, and found it very good.” It’s how we use the things that God has made (even how we use the things that we have made, for we can’t make anything without God’s Creation) that lets sin enter in.
In avoiding idolatry, we may ask ourselves, “What is my object? What is my goal? For what purpose am I using/interacting with this thing… or this person?” If our main answer is “to make myself feel mere pleasure” or worse “to make myself look good or have more power” – then we might be idolaters. In this case, the idol that I worship is myself. We say that Adam and Eve’s sin was of pride – but is this not the worship of oneself? Eve wasn’t idolizing Apple (hee hee) so much as the image of herself as a god.
Of course… Using things and interacting with people purely for God’s glory, to be fulfilled as images of God and to love as God loves us – is so much easier said than done. Sometimes, it just seems too difficult… and I confess that I sometimes numb myself watching TV or interfacing with some device, looking for gossip or whatnot. With the amount of time that we spend in front of screens, you would think that we were gazing on some deity, wouldn’t you?
Yes eve and “Apple” ha ha! good one.
This all started as fun it just got me thinking it’s quiet the thin line isn’t it?
A great message Limbiley and creatively presented… whats an iphone, I’m thinking it’s like a mobile but can do more things. I don’t have one or even a mobile now.
I have not watched T.V for over 5 years and have not missed it , I don’t listen to the radio although I do play Christian Music and I also watch Christian D.V.D’S and Audios.
I committed to The Lord, as a Job to glorify Him, my Blogging over 3 years ago when I was rejected for paid work and for volunteering because of my disabilities and my age. I Blog for 5 days a week, which can include the weekend and nights depending how much time I have had off during the week, this Job is unpaid of course but offers rich rewards and with my being an anointed Evangelist, there is much opportunity to witness, which gives me Joy.
I also do my Devotions Blogging, which blesses me greatly, God often leads me to peoples Blogs and some I have joined up with, besides encouraging them, I correct error if needed too. Blogging to me is to glorify The Lord as I shared before but also to be in Unity with His Body, The Church and they come from all Countries and Denominations and some have not even come to heart repentance yet but they will as Scripture foretells it will be.
Like any Job it has it’s ups and downs, the hardest to endure has been the rudeness of others, both Christian and Unbelievers, because they reject God’s Truth, I’m also rejected and ignored but Jesus said it would be this way, many have itching ears but He also reassured us that those who are like minded, meaning having the mind of Christ (Corinthians2:9-16) and seeking to be perfected in Love which also means being fully committed as He is and waling in righteousness , will accept God’s Truth and so we will be in True Unity and we won’t be worshiping Pagan gods and worldly chattels or putting people to the test or being disrespectful to them, not just because we are told not to do these things but because we don’t want to do them.
Christian Love Always Limbiley, from both of us – Anne.
Your work is highly noticed even here on earth,
Personally you have been a great guide to me and am sure you will continue to do so as I grow in my spiritual life,like you said encouraging and correcting.
I thank God for the grace to have an open heart and mind and get understanding
Thank for all your support
May The Lord bless you richly.
Thank you for your kind words Limbiley, the greatest Joy I have is sharing God’s Truth, it just overflows. Often when creating Power points or e-mails, the Holy Spirit touches my heart and I’m in tears thanking and praising Him in the fullness of the Godhead or Trinity as They are called today, 3 in One, sometimes when commenting on Blogs or responding on our own Blog, it is the same.
One thing that always draws me to a person is their honesty and right from the start Limbiley yours impacted me, I Love you in The Lord, like a Son , if I could only heal your hurt I would but Jesus is our only Healer.
When life crushed me because of my sin and the sin of others who lived in the carnal flesh, He rescued me. I came to Him in heart repentance accepting His Lordship in my Life, believing His every Word and I was set free. I asked for The Holy Spirit, His wisdom and His Love and He lifted me up, no longer to be just human but to soar with Him in the Heights and this is my prayer for all who seek Him with all their heart.
God bless you greatly Limbiley you are in my prayers, Trust and obey for there is no other way to be Happy in Jesus………
Christian Love Always from both of us – Anne
that was great Limbi, i was laughing, smilling and .. guilty.. all. God bless.
Great you could join me Monica,Finally!!!
Made me smile 🙂 if we put anything before God in a way that He comes second then that is idolatry, whether that’s an iphone, an ipad, or even a digy-thingy-whatsit 🙂
I never saw it like that before,too many distractions these days.
we learn from each other
so true,that’s the beauty of this whole thing.
I don’t have an ipod,ipad,iphone whatever, bc I know my eyes will become glued to it, and they are already glued to the TV (still watching MJ on VHS). I read that half the people w/ smartphones sleep with them in their beds (for the alarms presumably), but that does seem like idolatry to have it in your bed. I’m one of the few folks at church who carries an actual paper Bible (most reference scripture on their phone), but that does make it seem like that phone has all the answers. And I don’t think it’s a coincidence over the word “tablet.” Good catch.
Yeah I know exactly what you mean I have to have a “real bible” somehow the phone/iPad thing just don’t feel the same. Still old school I guess. Supprised you still have a working VCR.
Great post. 🙂
Thank you.
Really enjoyed this post! God bless.
Thanks I am glad you did.