The people were on the verge of ending their long Wilderness trek from Egypt when Moses issued this warning:
"You yourselves know how we lived in Egypt and how we passed through the countries on the way here. You saw among them their detestable images and idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold. Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the Lord our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison" (Deuteronomy 29:16-18).
He reminded them of what life had been like among the Egyptians idolaters who had made an image and idol of every part of nature and creation. They wasted their God-given creativity when they invested their talents in building and creating gods that were not really gods at all. Moses described this as "a root that produces bitter poison," and it was something the people had seen with their own eyes.
What are you doing, what kind of lifestyle are you shaping, with your creativity? You may answer that you're not using it to build idols, but idols don't have to be statues that can be touched. Your creative energy can be used to build a career that's a priority over family and ministry, consumed by a hobby that's seen by your eyes only, or devoted to a lifestyle that is culturally acceptable but irrelevant to the Kingdom of God.
Paul urged his readers to "put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry" (Colossians 3:5, emphasis added). How are you using your creativity? Where have you devoted it to futile things? How can you devote more of it to Kingdom work?
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