Elephant in the Room — The Lies in Our Culture - Tuesday
Today’s Verse
Romans 1:28
And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. (ESV)
A few years ago, Nair ran an ad campaign that left me absolutely appalled. Not because it was overtly crude or malevolent, but because of the worldview they so blatantly put on a pedestal. The tagline of every ad came to the same place.
Worship yourself.
Yuck. It still makes me cringe.
The thing is, Nair just didn’t sugarcoat the lie our culture is screaming at us to believe. Nike, Dove, American Eagle, and a whole host of others subtly (or not so subtly) preach the same message. Nair nailed it on the head: our culture believes in the false god of self.
We will either worship the Creator, or we will worship the created (see Romans 1). And since sin entered the world, we tend to make a really bad trade. Psalm 115:4-8 puts it this way:
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.
They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell.
They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk;
and they do not make a sound in their throat.
Those who make them become like them;
so do all who trust in them.
We become like what we worship. And when we worship anything other than our Creator, we are left powerless. Whether it’s a Nair commercial or an encouraging note saying something like “you are enough,” we are constantly tempted to believe the pride-stroking lie that the object of our attention and devotion ought to be ourselves. And like Scott said on Sunday, “When we fall into the trap of self-worship, we get stuck in a cycle of powerlessness. We become like what we worship… and we don’t want to admit that we are powerless.”
APPLICATION
How has the false god of self gripped your life? Find a trusted friend, mentor, or accountability partner and have an honest conversation about the ways you still find yourself stuck in the trap of self-worship. Ask them to pray with you.
Groups are a great place to meet other Jesus followers. If you’re already in one, don’t forget to check out the discussion guide when you meet this week!
PRAYER
Lord, I don’t want to compete with You for the throne. In moments of weakness when I stray from You and find something else to worship, do not allow me to be given over, but bring me back to You.
