What Is Your Idol?
“You shall not have other gods beside me. You shall not make for yourself an idol or likeness of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them or serve them” (Exodus 20:3-5).
Over the past few years, I have done several social media fasts. Mostly for Lent (and, last year, Advent), I deleted social media off my phone and removed Facebook from my Favorites tab. Each social media fast showed me just how much time I spent on my phone scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Snapchat. Then, when Lent or Advent ended, I went back to my old scrolling habits without much change in my social media use. The biggest social media change I made within the last year was deleting my Twitter and Snapchat accounts after watching Netflix’s “The Social Dilemma.”
In each of my fasts, I realize that not only was I addicted to social media, but it was slowly becoming an idol. I also realized that I turned to binge-watching TV to fill the void of scrolling, replacing one addictive experience with another, from one idol to another. In Exodus, God clearly commands that we not make ourselves “an idol or likeness of anything in the heaven above or on the earth below” (20:4). I had always applied this commandment for literal objects, like the golden calf of Exodus, but it goes beyond the literal sense and includes anything that consumes our heart and mind. God’s greatest desire is to be in relationship with us and for us to know Him. Our addictions can slowly, but easily, have us making “other gods beside” God (Exodus 20:3). Our idols pull us away from knowing God.
Social media is not inherently bad. We are living in the digital age, and social media plays an important role in how we go about our day-to-day lives. Most likely you are probably reading this article because it was posted on a Catholic Women in Business social media account. Social media is a powerful tool to learn and connect with people, but it can also give us a distorted view of reality and become an idol.
We need to be aware of our idols and beware of replacing one with another. This process is something that we are not going to perfect on this side of heaven; it is only through the grace of God and frequenting the sacraments that we will be able to eliminate our idols.
We are called to be in relationship with the one, true God. He has called us to be saints and to glorify Him alone. To live out our saintly calling, we need to turn away from our idols. Here’s how:
Recognition
The first step is to recognize we have an issue and call it out.
Setting Boundaries
What do we need to do to eliminate our idols? Do we need a social media or TV fast? What boundaries do we need to set regarding how much social media or TV we consume? Do we need to delete all social media accounts or cancel our streaming subscriptions? Do we need to find professional help?
Finding an Accountability Partner
We do not have to get rid of our idols alone. We are created for community and may need a trusted friend or adviser to help us along the way.
Frequent the Sacraments
We also cannot turn away from our idols by sheer willpower. We need God’s grace and mercy and to be close to Him through prayer, Mass, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Alexandra (Alex) Harrel resides in Irving, Texas. She is a new student affairs professional within the world of higher education. In her spare time, she loves reading, listening to podcasts, and spending time outdoors. Her favorite prayer is Hail, Holy Queen. You can follow her on Instagram at @2012alexandra.