Worse Than Idols?

And you are even worse than your ancestors! You stubbornly follow your own evil desires and refuse to listen to me. [Jeremiah 16.12]

Follow this closely. What made the people Jeremiah addressed worse than their ancestors was that they followed their own evil desires instead of God's. Their "own evil desires" is the pivotal statement here and we know this because of what their ancestors were guilty of... And, what was that?

“Then you will give them the LORD’s reply: ‘It is because your ancestors were unfaithful to me. They worshiped other gods and served them. They abandoned me and did not obey my word. [Jeremiah 16.11]

Judah's "worse" sin was that instead of just worshiping idols, they had begun to follow their "own evil desires." So Jeremiah indicates that "doing our own thing" is a worse sin than doing the will of an idol!

What then, are our "own evil desires"?

I will be so bold as to say, first and foremost, that our own evil desires start with excluding God. The moment we put our will above God's will, we have committed a worse sin than idol worship! Any desire we might have is an "evil desire" if it takes precedence over God's will for our lives. 

Let me repeat that because it is true: Any desire we might have is an "evil desire" if it takes precedence over God's will for our lives.

Any such desire, given priority over God's will, becomes worse than an idol!

We need to let that soak in.

Father, help me to see all the areas of my life that I have excluded You and Your will so that I might follow my own desires (which, compared to Your will, are evil). Forgive me for placing my desires above Your will for my life.