Raising Idols

I had a good conversation with my friend Andy on Friday which got me thinking about how right now, not only are we a society that worships idols, but we in fact a society that raises them. I look all around me and I see grown children who are still dependant on their parents. At first glance one may think that the problem lies with the child however there may be another factor involved. I am at right around the 50 year mark and looking back our kids were raised at about the time when kids began to run the family, at time when the kids schedule dictated the parent’s schedule. In the beginning the intentions were good but somewhere something happened and sadly in many cases ones child grew into ones idol. The very thing a parent would worship the most and once an idol has a firm grasp on your life it’s tough to get rid of and even tougher to see. One of the proudest moments I have experienced as a parent was when each of our girls went out on their own and was able to thrive. I’ve had a saying for years and I’m not sure if I coined it or heard it somewhere else but for a long time now I’ve said a parent should raise their kids to leave. Sadly as I look around there are many young adults that cannot break free from the chains their parents have placed on them because quite frankly the parents do not want to lose the very thing they have been worshiping for years, their kids.

God in the first two commandments makes it clear that we are not to worship anything or anyone other than Him. Yet we used to think that idols were nothing but little statues and I think today many have come to think of idols as money, power, etc. things that we chase after. But how many have stopped to consider whether or not they are actually raising idols right in their own homes. If you are raising kids right now worship God and not your kids. If you have adult children the same thing and if you have been worshiping your young adults since they were kids consider letting them go, and in both cases teach them how to love Jesus and to go out on their own.