Confessions of a Teenage Christian (A Devotional Book for Teen Girls)

May 3, 2014 [Idols]

"You shall have no other gods before me." ~Exodus 20:3

Idols-

You may think, "I'm good on this one. I don't believe in any other god than God alone." But God didn't only mean the gods that come to our minds. Did you know celebrities can be gods to us? It's okay to really like a celebrity, but when you start obsessing over Justin Bieber and putting One Direction before God, that's when it's bad. Make sure you are careful about how you see celebrities. You shouldn't be worshipping them like gods, because they aren't. They're humans, and they sin. They won't be able to save you from eternal damnation. Not only people can become gods in our lives. For example, I really like books. I obsess over a lot of the stories, and I spend most of my time doing book-related things. I spend money on books that could be going towards a church offering. I tell myself "just one more chapter" when I could be reading my bible and talking to God. I struggle sometimes with keeping my priorities straight, and I have to constantly remind myself what is really important. Just like celebrities, books can't save me. They'll all be gone when I die. Then what will I have? You may be thinking, "books? There is no way I have to worry about this." Well, not just books. Phones can become idols easily. After all, that's what most of us spend all of our free time on. Make sure you sit the phone down and read your bible often. God can only speak to you when you give Him the opportunity. Whether it's celebrities, phones, books, or anything else, make sure you have God as your #1!

Dear God, I know I sometimes get distracted my earthly things. Please remind me that all of that will be left behind one day, and I need to focus on what really matters: You. Help me set aside the things that I love so I can strengthen my relationship with You. I love You. Amen.