Choosing the Right God

In Part One, we saw that the heart is an idol factory and sin is often the smoke that rises from whatever idol is burning on the throne. Now, let’s talk about how idols get there and how to kick them out.

There are three foundational truths every believer must understand:

1. You Were Created to Worship

You can’t turn off worship. You can change its direction, but you cannot silence it. Every human heart is wired to adore, trust, and pursue something. If you don’t worship the Most High, you will worship a substitute.

Money will rule you. Approval will steer you. Control will drive you. Pleasure will enslave you.

Jesus said it plainly: “You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt. 6:24). You can’t belong to two masters. One will rule, and the other will lose.

2. You Choose Who You Worship

Joshua stood before Israel and said: “Choose you this day whom ye will serve.” (Josh. 24:15)

Joshua didn’t talk about feelings. He didn’t talk about circumstances. He talked about choice. And there were two:

1. Put away the gods your ancestors served

2. Serve the LORD

You can’t cling to both. The idols of your family… The idols of your culture…The idols passed down through generations… Those must be put away if God is to reign. And let’s be honest, many of us worship the same idols our parents worshipped: Work. Money. Achievement. Image.
Control. People-pleasing.

Joshua says, “You have to put one away to embrace the other.” That’s the pathway to real transformation.

3. You Live According to What You Worship

Whatever sits on the throne of your heart shapes your decisions, your schedule, your spending, your relationships, and your reactions.

Joshua used the word serve seven times in two verses because in his day, serving meant sacrifice.

Your idols don’t just ask for attention, they demand it. They drain your time. They drain your money. They drain your peace, and they leave you empty.

Scripture says it best:
“Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Luke 12:34)

If you want to know what you worship, examine:

• Your calendar

• Your checkbook

• Your cravings

• Your worries

• Your must-haves

• Your can’t-live-withouts

These are the fingerprints of your idol.