Worship is a word with very religious connotations. However the word literally just means obsession or extreme regard. The reality is that we are all prone to get attached to things, roles people or ideas and make them a priority above other things. We are actually designed in a way that encourages this because we were designed to worship the Creator. When we put substitutes in His place , they are seen by Him as Idols.
Modern Idols
In the past people made statues and other images and used them as deities that they sacrificed and prayed to but today our Idols are virtual. We are often extremely attached and dependent upon our cell phones, social media, Television, money and even social status. These things come first in our daily lives, even if we are religious. This causes chaos in our lives because these things are not able to respond to us or to recognize our individuality. They take and are not able to give back. Over time they become like slave masters. This leaves us with our needs unmet which then results in stress.
What do we really need
As human beings we need food and water in order to survive and exist physically, we need relationship and love to thrive emotionally and we need a secure attachment to someone outside of ourselves to feel secure. These are some of our primary needs. When we try to meet these needs ourselves we usually get out of balance and become more focused than we should be to one area over another. The need we focus becomes an Idol and the other areas suffer as a result. An example of this would be a husband working overtime to provide for His family while missing out on his children’s activities and opportunities to bond with them, which is important for the emotional well being of the whole family.
Why putting The Creator first is the best solution
When we develop a relationship with The Almighty, through The Messiah, what we get is access to wisdom strength and guidance that helps us to put people, things and activities in their proper place. When we worship/ get extremely devoted to Him then we are able to bring balance to our lives and have our needs met efficiently without Idolatry. A well balanced life puts things in the proper order and does not rob peter to pay Paul. Stress is usually a result of imbalance . Even nutritionists believe a well balanced diet contributes to good health. Well so does a well balanced life. A very good book on the subject is Kyle Idleman’s “gods at war”.