What's at the top of my flagpole?

I've never been totally comfortable with the "idolatry" terminology we use in Christian circles. I know it's biblical, but it makes me think of gargoyles or fat, shirtless Buddhas. When, as a young mother, I was confronted with the possibility that my children could be idols, I was even less comfortable. That hit way too close to home, especially when more than one of my babies bore some resemblance to a fat, shirtless Buddha.

Still, whatever word we use for it, idolatry is a real danger to faithfulness. My family, creature comforts, entertainment, work, workout schedule, opinions, and credit card can all steal my focus from God. But a message I heard recently helped me picture these things in a new light, to see them not as ugly archaic statues, but as flags.

Not that I have any great affinity for flags, either (except to continually wonder why they always seem to be at half-mast), but Ken Robertson from International Anglican Church used them in a way that opened my eyes to the things that threaten my first allegiance to God. (The original message, much better than my recap will be, can be found at springsiac.org. The message is from January 5, 2020.)

Flags are displays of allegiance. We salute the American flag because it represents our loyalty to our nation. The neighbors fly a Nebraska flag to tell the world they're Cornhuskers fans. Flags unite people ("Oh, you're a Cornhusker, too? Come in for a drink!") while also separating people ("CU fans not welcome here."). And while many of us don't literally fly flags, we all carry banners of allegiance to certain things. This might be for a certain political mindset or a parenting style or a hobby that's become a passion. Or it could be for a cause--gender equality, the environment, animal welfare, fostering children, or, in my case, good grammar and properly used semicolons. We all have multiple flags, and for a lot of us, our biggest, brightest banner is reserved for our families. We hoist that one up the pole and will die to protect it.

The thing I love about this metaphor is that flags aren't inherently bad. They're not ugly. They can even be quite beautiful. But they were never intended to fly at the top of our flagpoles. That spot is for Jehovah-Nissi, a name that means "the Lord is our banner" (see Exodus 17:15). The Bible talks about banners in a number of other places, but most interesting is the banner mentioned in Isaiah 11, the "Root of Jesse" who will unite not just Cornhuskers fans or Americans, but "all nations." This flag is Jesus, of course, and Ken Robertson pointed out that Christianity is the most diverse institution in the world. Its adherents are found in every country of the world and span the spectrum from Palestinian Christians to Messianic Jews, Orthodox Russians to Nigerian Pentecostals.

It's not that other flags are bad, but we have to keep an eye on them. If we're not mindful, they start creeping up the flagpole. When our allegiance to Jesus stays higher than the other flags, the others stay in their places. The highest flag actually brings order and rightmindedness to lower flags. When I am living with Christ as my highest banner, I can be the best mom, wife, employee, friend, community member, and champion for causes that I can be. But I have to keep watch over letting any of these things climb too high on my flagpole.

One of the easiest ways to identify flag creep is to notice what I'm stubborn about. In other words, am I willing for my flag to look different? Am I willing to live with less money, a smaller house, or fewer friends? Can I let go of a job I love? Can my support for a cause be challenged? Am I willing for my role as a mom to change? (Um, yes, that's the question in my face as my children rapidly become adults.) The tighter my hands are grasped around one particular flag, the more likely it is that I've let it get too high on the flagpole.

My flagpole has room for lots of beautiful flags. But am I willing to change them, lower them, and swap them out if I need to? Is my highest flag steadfast in place at the very top, the place from which it can purify and shine through my other flags?