Many years ago I belonged to a BUNCO group. For readers unfamiliar with this activity it is a simple dice game involving 12 players. Many women from all walks of life play this game all over the country. It’s a great evening out with friends away from the hectic duties of work, kids, and reality. Rules vary from group to group, but there is usually score keeping and prizes at the end of the night. It was a simple pleasure for me until I fell “prey to idols”.
As my time with the group passed I found that the simple diversion turned into an obsession with prizes! I know, it sounds silly, but it is what it is. Instead of enjoying an evening of fellowship, refreshments, and mindless game play, I found myself sneaking peeks at my score card a little too frequently.
How many wins do I have? Do I have the most BUNCOs? What prize might I win?
I was in BUNCO heaven because of a five month winning streak I was experiencing. The more I won, the more I was consumed with winning, but then I started feeling prompts to drop out of the group. Nah, I shrugged them off for quite some time. After all, who quits in the middle of a winning streak? Not THIS chick! Being so consumed with winning I lost sight of the simple fun. Then it happened: the ugly truth revealed itself.
Reading my Bible one day I ran head-first into the story of the rich young man in Matthew 19:16-22. The gist of the story is a rich young man asks Jesus what he (the man) must do to have eternal life. Jesus tells him to sell all his possessions. The young man sadly schleps off because he had fallen prey to the idol of wealth and would not abandon it.
For me . . . message received LOUD AND CLEAR! I decided not to ignore that long-running prompt that had played over and over like a broken record in my head. I had fallen prey to an idol. It was innocent enough, but crossed a line that Paul talked about in 1 Corinthians 6:12:
“‘Everything is permissible for me” — but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me” — but I will not be mastered by anything,” (NIV).
BUNCO isn’t a bad thing . . . and neither was the young man’s wealth, but the obsession they birthed was NOT a good thing. Once I received that revelation I immediately resigned from the group. It was a good decision because peace replaced obsession.
This may sound like a silly story, but there is much to learn. First, the obvious: nothing should have such mastery over our hearts and minds. A good measure is to evaluate the balance that exists with things or activities in our lives. Are we shopaholics? Workaholics? Gluttonous with food or exercise? Where balance is absent, obsession often exists.
Second, sometimes it is the small things that bring us down. Years ago I heard a pastor tell the story of a famous snake handler. It’s been a few years so I may not remember all the details, but the gist of the story was that a baby snake not warranting much concern ultimately ended the man’s life. He had prepared for the bites of the big threat reptiles such as cobras, mambas, and vipers, and had even survived a few of their bites. However, a baby rattlesnake bit him and killed him. This is a great example of how we tend to be more awareness of the “bigger” things while the “smaller” ones go unnoticed and sneak up on us. We must watch for all idols, large and small.
I encourage you to meditate on these words and see if you have fallen “prey to idols” in any area of your life. Sometimes reversing the effects requires a small adjustment. Sometimes it is necessary to completely remove something from our lives. Then, and only then, will God’s peace and balance take the place of an idol.
©Shona Neff
