In the last two generations, many major pop icons have self-destructed.
Three of our most popular cultural symbols—Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, and Prince have perished through self-inflicted means. All three had talent and charisma that invoked unprecedented adulation. Due to their entertainment genius, they developed cult-like followings—though it may have never been their intent.
Idolatry happens when legitimate things become ultimate things. Recognizing and enjoying great talent is acceptable, but when those gifts become the driving force in our life, they become our god. When we deify a person, we never do them a favor. We put them in a role in which they can never succeed.
God is the only One who is worthy of our veneration and capable of receiving it without negative consequences. He wants our reverence, but He doesn’t need it because He is self-sufficient.
Unlike God, humans are self-centered and needy. The more adoration we receive, the more we desire it to feel complete. This places public figures on an unsustainable treadmill with no end in sight. History records that our brightest stars have self-medicated to dull the pain of their existence.
Our culture worships the creature rather than the Creator—a dilemma that exists in the sacred as well at the secular world. The solution is simple, though not always easy. We must worship the one true God.
Worshiping God can save you from the disappointment of worshiping a false god and the destruction of trying to be one.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
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How timely and true!