A few years ago I read about a man who was found dead of a heart attack while sitting at his computer. The man had just googled, "symptoms of a heart attack."

If idolatry were a disease, what would be the symptoms? And will you take action or just continue on as if it's not that serious?

Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. Psalm 2:12

To "kiss the Son" is to submit to God and His anointed with a kiss of homage—an act of submission and obedience. At the writing of this Psalm, God’s anointed king of Israel was David. But by the time we get to the end of the psalm, someone greater than David is in view: Jesus Christ! 

When receiving a dignitary, the one who was inferior would offer a humble kiss. The “inferiors” who are told to kiss the Son are the kings and rulers of the earth (verse 10). No matter how powerful or important you may be, wisdom dictates that you submit to the King of kings! 

God makes it clear—we are to submit to Him and worship Him alone. He is to have no rivals. We are to have no idols.

An idol, according to Richard Keyes, is something within creation that is inflated to function as a substitute for God. The crucial warning is this: As soon as our loyalty to anything leads us to disobey God, we are in danger of making it an idol.

Will you pause now and take these four action steps? To continue without taking action is as foolish as googling your symptoms rather than calling 911.

1. Pray and ask God to identify your symptoms of idolatry. Use these questions as your guide:

• What pursuits have been captivating my imagination and may have pushed aside my relationship with God and with those I love? 
• What activities have become consuming to the point of my neglecting more important issues?
• Have family members or friends voiced their concern that I’m spending too much time [fill in what applies to you, e.g., social media, fishing, in front of the TV, playing computer games, etc.].

2.  Read Romans chapter one.
3.  Reread Romans 1 and ask the Holy Spirit to show you God's commands to be obeyed, His promises to be embraced and His warnings to be heeded. Admit that you are a very skilled self-swindler, having great potential to excuse, minimize, and rationalize sin. Journal what the Holy Spirit reveals to you.
4. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the grace today to follow Jesus wholeheartedly. Then repeat this step every day for the rest of your life.

As the Psalmist David told us, Blessed are all who take refuge in him. God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him! God will not be glorified as He ought to be if His people are not satisfied in Him as they ought to be (John Piper). Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts (1 John 5:21, NLT).