Who are we serving? I teach middle school and high school English. One of the things I hear is “We’re doing it for our children,” or “We’re here to serve our families,” or “Without our kids, we won’t have a job.” All of these statements are true. At least partially.
Yet lately, I’ve been wondering, “who are our children?” Are we teaching the children in front of us, or are we serving the culmination of all of our children? Is it a stereotypical image of a child who meets the demographics of our students?
I’m not only talking about education either. The legal system says, “justice is blind.” Justice is personified as a statue of a blindfolded lady holding a scale and sword. The United States is a government of the people. Doctors take an oath to “do no harm. The police’s job is to “protect and serve.” The list can go on and on. These are noble services, at least from a global and a human perspective.
Yet lately, I’ve wondered whether these noble “paths” serve real people or an idealized version of who we think these “people” are? A better question is are we serving real people or hypothetical people. By hypothetical, I mean that these “people” are based on an idea or theory that is imagined. Are we creating images that are idealized and hypothetical?
If the answer is yes, then such service is idolatry. The LORD says, “You shall not make for yourselves an idol, or likeness of what is in the heaven above or on the earth beneath, or in the water underneath the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God” (Exodus 20:4-6).
Yes, the LORD is a jealous God, and rightfully so. He created the Universe, including us in six days; we have no right to serve inanimate objects or vague ideas. He doesn’t even want us to bow down to images of Him, but He wants us to worship Him alone.
The problem with idolatry is that an idealized version of something or someone is not real. It’s hypothetical. When we serve these ideas, we become like them. We have eyes, but can’t see, ears but can’t hear, mouth but can’t taste, hands but can’t feel; feet but can’t walk. (Psalms 115:4-8). By serving images and ideas, we become paralyzed by this idea that we will never see, hear, taste, or feel. We cannot serve images of God based on our imagination because our imagination is not based on reality but on our own desires, a product of our own creation.
Thankfully, we have a living God who wants us to serve Him. Our God is real. The Father sent his only begotten Son so whoever believes may not perish but have everlasting life, Jesus, the Living God, is the only one who can give life from nothing. In fact, Jesus is the exact radiance and representation of God’s glory and nature (Hebrew 1:3). The more you read about His teaching, the more you understand Him. The more you learn His suffering, the more you adore Him. The more you know of His resurrection, the more you worship Him as the One true God, which leads to everlasting life.
That is something the hypothetical gods of this world cannot give us. We cannot serve two gods because you will love one and despise the other. For the LORD, our God is a jealous God who deserves all the Glory because He is the I am. He is the Light, the Resurrection, and the Truth. He created us in his image, and that is not hypothetical.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
Destroy all the false gods in our hearts. Make us turn to you. Father, we need you in our life. We need you to guide us to your glory. Your word is Spirit and Life. Open our souls so we can receive you. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Exodus 20:4-6
4 “You shall not make for yourself [c]an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not worship them nor serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, inflicting the [d]punishment of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing [e]favor to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
Pondering His Holy Word 
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