“And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word.” – 1 Kings 18:21
Many today are stuck in a place very similar to these ancient Israelites. They have a vague notion of God, usually quite limited and false, which they keep in their back pocket in case of emergencies. They don’t love Him, they don’t necessarily believe in Him, and they certainly don’t follow Him. They absolutely don’t want to hear His view on things. However, in an emergency, they want Him to immediately do whatever they ask, affirm whatever they’ve already decided, celebrate what they’ve already done, and pleasantly help out because things are tough. That definitely isn’t following Him!
Instead, they happily chase after modern-day Baals. Baal was a false god in ancient Canaan, worshiped as a source of prosperity, power, and pleasure. Today’s Baals look like the extreme elevation and celebration of self, “you do you”, living “your truth”, along with old familiar idols like wealth, health, power, fame, status, success, pleasure, entertainment, comfort, security, politics, etc. When those things are more central to someone’s life and emotional stability than God, then they’re following Baal.
If you realize that you or someone you care about is in this place, please understand that it’s impossible to “hedge your bets” and follow the Baal of 2022 while also keeping God around as a backup (or someone to blame) if and when things go wrong. If the Lord is God, follow Him! Don’t reimagine Him. Don’t ignore Him. Follow Him as He is. If Baal is your God, at least admit it and recognize that it’s impossible to try and have the best of both worlds. Thankfully though, when anyone is ready to abandon their idols and truly follow God, He’s waiting with open arms!