In Exodus 32:1-6, we learn about how the Israelites decided to design and worship a golden calf.

Why did they do this? Because, they didn’t think Moses was coming back.

Did they really care that much about Moses? No. They just wanted to know that the presence of God was with them. When Moses was around, they knew God was there. They could have more confidence that they would get fed and find water in the desert. They could trust that they would overcome enemy forces. However, because Moses was gone, they lost their comfort in the presence of God.

So, what did they do? They did exactly what the teachings of their society taught them to do: they built an image of an animal so they could be confident that the presence of God was with them.

What’s the problem? This is idolatry. Mixing the false teachings of society with the true teachings of God produces something God wants nothing to do with.

In this week’s episode of “Cooking with Ken”, we see an example of what happens when you mix two things that are totally incompatible:

This is what our lives look like when we mix idolatry with the teachings of Jesus.

Everything we do, think, and feel is worship. We are worshiping all day long. The questions is, who are we worshiping… or what are we worshiping?

All of us commit idolatry, every single day of our lives. Whenever we sin, there is some form of idol that is luring. Idols lead us to do/think/feel things we shouldn’t do/think/feel. Idols lead us to not do/think/feel things that we should do/think/feel.

Here’s a list of some of today’s most popular idols among Jesus-followers (in no particular order):

1. Our Own Personal Ego’s (Self)
2. People-Pleasing (Parents, Friends, Culture)
3. Fear
4. Success
5. Work
6. Religion
7. Family (Husband, Wife, Kids)
8. TV/Computer/Cell
9. Stuff
10. Politics

What are your thoughts on this subject, in light of the situations we find ourselves in today’s society?