When I was younger, my mom didn’t let me watch Clarissa Explains It All on Nickelodeon. I used to argue with her about it all the time; I loved Clarissa’s eccentric outfits, her individualism and the fact that she had a pet alligator. I wanted to be Clarissa Darling.

Finally frustrated with my consistent questioning on the matter, my mom got right to the point – unknowingly, I had started adopting behaviors from the show. I called my sister “Ferg-face” once, which doesn’t even make sense considering that her name is Laura, not Ferguson. I started to become disrespectful.

Looking back today, I guess it all makes sense. We become the idols we serve.

2 Kings 17 gives an account of the reign of King Hoshea, the last of the Kings of Israel. King Hoshea forced his way into power by conspiring against the king and assassinating him (2 Kings 15:30). Though he may have not been as evil as the other Kings of Israel during this time in history, he embraced sin. And because of that, destruction came gradually upon Israel, a destruction that proved all encompassing.

The only specific sin mentioned in 2 Kings 17 is idol worship. But the people of Israel did that sin well. It says that they “worshiped other gods and paid homage to them (v. 7),” “built pagen shrines (v. 9),” “sacrificed their own sons and daughters in the fire (v. 17),” and “consulted fortune tellers, practiced sorcery, and sold themselves to evil (v. 17).” That’s not even the full list.

In the middle of this grand catalogue of sins, the writer interjects his assessment of the situation.

“They worshiped worthless idols, so they became worthless themselves.” 2 Kings 17:15

Worthless. The people of Israel, God’s chosen who he had rescued from Egypt and brought out of slavery, became worthless because they had given their hearts over to something other than God.

Can you see that disconnect here? The people of Israel forced their children to pass through burning flames as an offering to worthless gods that didn’t even exist. They were so invested in serving these idols that they turned their backs on the God that pieced them together, the God that stood patiently by, ready to welcome them back from their adulterous ways.

It seems ludicrous, but honestly, how often do we unknowingly give ourselves over to other gods? Those who are driven by wealth become materialistic. Those overly concerned with appearances become self-consumed. Those who idolize people and relationships become jealous and bitter themselves.

I can’t imagine that any of us what this. Who do you know that sets out to be materialistic, self-consumed, jealous and bitter? But those things in our lives that take root in our hearts morph our very personas.

Proverbs 4:23 warns, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”

We need to be actively guarding our hearts from the idols that threaten to plant their roots. I urge you to seek God about your susceptibilities. Where are you most weak? Rather than giving ourselves over to momentary satisfactions or depending on earthly things to fill the voids in our hearts, God asks us to just stand. Look to Him. Drink in His majesty. Know that every other replacement you conjure up will fall horribly short of what you’re looking for. And that’s ok – we have the real thing.