Daniel 3
Today's Passage: Daniel 3
How many of us have heard this story of Nebuchadnezzar’s outrageous pride and scoffed at it? I for SURE have been that scoffer. I mean, to think of erecting a statue of yourself and making people worship it under the threat of death is unimaginable for us, right?
Right? We would SURELY never do something like this. Right?
Harsh reality: that is what social media can become if we aren’t careful. Golden images of our best selves that we post for the public eye to behold, comment on, and cherish? Haven’t we put people to “death” for now bowing to our statuses or “set them on fire” for their carelessness in not helping us feel better about ourselves?
I know you might think I’m overreacting or trying to soapbox that social media is killing the world, but I do think there is more here than we give thought to. Just because it all takes place in the heart doesn’t minimize its evil.
In the same way that we strive to be like the 3 men in this text and not give ourselves over to idolatry, we might need to be confronted that the biggest idol in our lives is often ourselves. Our corrupt and insatiable hearts want to be noticed, bragged on, and immortalized; dare we say idolized?
Being Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego comes at a price: not just that of not getting on our knees before the powers and influences of our culture, but also not expecting others to bow to us too. That’s the real fire that injures: the one that burns in our hearts toward others when we aren’t noticed or esteemed.
If we really do strive to be like the men in this incredible passage, it means we have to say no to all forms of idolatry, even those that revolve around bowing to us. Jesus Christ is the only one we bow the knee to. He is the only God worthy of our worship. He alone desires and deserves our hearts.
This is not a pitch to get you off social media, unless you are convicted that this is exactly what is happening in your heart. It’s opening our eyes to consider that we unintentionally build golden statues of ourselves, and demand people respond to them more than we realize.
And in the same way God delivered these men, He has the power to deliver us too.
Written By: Drew Dukes
How many of us have heard this story of Nebuchadnezzar’s outrageous pride and scoffed at it? I for SURE have been that scoffer. I mean, to think of erecting a statue of yourself and making people worship it under the threat of death is unimaginable for us, right?
Right? We would SURELY never do something like this. Right?
Harsh reality: that is what social media can become if we aren’t careful. Golden images of our best selves that we post for the public eye to behold, comment on, and cherish? Haven’t we put people to “death” for now bowing to our statuses or “set them on fire” for their carelessness in not helping us feel better about ourselves?
I know you might think I’m overreacting or trying to soapbox that social media is killing the world, but I do think there is more here than we give thought to. Just because it all takes place in the heart doesn’t minimize its evil.
In the same way that we strive to be like the 3 men in this text and not give ourselves over to idolatry, we might need to be confronted that the biggest idol in our lives is often ourselves. Our corrupt and insatiable hearts want to be noticed, bragged on, and immortalized; dare we say idolized?
Being Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego comes at a price: not just that of not getting on our knees before the powers and influences of our culture, but also not expecting others to bow to us too. That’s the real fire that injures: the one that burns in our hearts toward others when we aren’t noticed or esteemed.
If we really do strive to be like the men in this incredible passage, it means we have to say no to all forms of idolatry, even those that revolve around bowing to us. Jesus Christ is the only one we bow the knee to. He is the only God worthy of our worship. He alone desires and deserves our hearts.
This is not a pitch to get you off social media, unless you are convicted that this is exactly what is happening in your heart. It’s opening our eyes to consider that we unintentionally build golden statues of ourselves, and demand people respond to them more than we realize.
And in the same way God delivered these men, He has the power to deliver us too.
Written By: Drew Dukes
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