I just heard someone on the news use the term “sports addiction” in all seriousness! They were talking about someone who roots too hard for his/her team and lives in a reckless way to support their team. Last time, I checked, the word “fan” was short for “fanatic” and that type of behavior was encouraged not discouraged by the world (not by God the Father!).
Wow, if we could just call it what God calls it: idolatry – then we’d have it right. Idolatry occurs when a person gets so wrapped up in any idolatrous pleasure that they fail to meet their God-given responsibilities to be fully devoted to God and to serve others – which is unloving and sinful. It’s a violation of the First Commandment at the very least.
But when the world takes God out of everything, then “idolatry” doesn’t make sense and “addiction” does since it implies something physical not moral (or spiritual).
The term “idolatry” points people to the Righteous Judge called the Lord God Almighty! That’s the truth that points us to our need for a righteous Savior and His power to transform us!
-Mark (lamenting the diseasing of sin)