Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before Me”.

The 1828 Noah Webster’s Dictionary defines the word idol as “Any thing on which we set our affections; that to which we indulge an excessive and sinful attachment”. When I read this definition, I was convicted. Why? Because skin care products and make-up cosmetics are my weakness. Any product that includes jojoba seed oil, ginseng, lemon balm, vitamin e, shea butter, and/or coconut oil which is designed to produce softer, glowy, smoother, radiant, dewy, moisturized, and healthy looking skin, Im hooked. As far as make-up products are concerned, I love cosmetic lines that include shimmer, various shades of blue, and other natural looking products. These brands are definitely eye-catching and alluring. The down side to all of this is that I’m constantly buying new product lines as they are launched in stores which makes it difficult for me to enjoy or use up what I have at home. The retailer is not at fault, but it’s my own personal issue.

As great as these things are, the Lord has shown me that I’ve allowed these beauties to take up residence in my heart and they have become household idols. God has revealed to me that I’m worshipping at the altar of skin care products and cosmetics. He is showing me that I need to quit while I’m ahead. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with taking care of your skin or using make-up. However, I’ve allowed these things to become my obsession.

I love what the late Dr. J. Vernon McGee said in one of his sermons when asked if Christian women should wear makeup, “Well, if the barn needs painting, then paint it”. Now I must say this, if the barn needs painting, don’t hesitate to paint it. I’ll be the first to admit, I’m keeping my barn touched up with the best paint possible. I’m trusting the Lord to bring me a godly husband, so I’m giving it a fresh coat of paint each day.

I love you ladies! I hope you are not offended by my sarcastic humor. Each one of you are beautiful in the Lord’s eyes and truth be told, none of us needs makeup. It’s just a great enhancer to add to our natural beauty, but drinking water is the best beauty secret.

On a more serious note, an idol can be anything or anyone ranging from material possessions, a job, money, recreational hobbies, food, relationships, in my case, cosmetics, or anything that you have an excessive passion for.

The Lord doesn’t want us to have idols in our lives. He wants our whole heart, not a divided one. Exodus 20:3 exhorts us to have no other gods before Him. An idol can take on many forms as I stated above. Ladies, I encourage you to worship the Lord and Him alone. He is worthy of our highest praise! If there is anything or anyone in your life that has become an idol, put those people and things in their proper place. However, if these things have become a stumbling block or they are impeding your relationship with the Lord, then it’s best to let those distractions go. Your relationship with the Lord is much more important. Trust Him!

Leviticus 26:1 You shall not make idols for yourselves; neither a carved image nor a sacred pillar shall you rear up for yourselves; nor shall you set up an engraved stone in your land, to bow down to it; for I am the Lord your God.

 Joshua 24:23 “Now therefore,” he said, “Put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord God of Israel.”