The Idolatry of Self and How Kanye is a God

Kanye's public antics and seemingly inflated sense of self have long been a subject of mirth and incredulity for me. I've followed his career off and on since he emerged on the scene as a producer for Rock-A-Fella records. I have a love of hip-hop that dates back to the nineties and Kanye is a part of that. No doubt Kanye has contributed an incredible amount to hip hop and rap. He has produced music for some of the greatest.  Jay-Z and Alicia Keyes to name two.

Kanye West is considered one of the greatest rappers of all time. He has won 27 Grammy's, sold millions of albums, yet I woke up this morning to see him begging for money on Twitter. I was left wondering how he got to this point. There's no denying Kanye's contribution to the music industry. But his career and personal life are clouded with controversy. His declaration of himself as a god has long brought him criticism by some and applause by others. 

This morning as I read his many tweets asking anyone and everyone to support his dreams because he's in debt to the tune of $53 million dollars, I wondered at first how it happened. He answered the "how" himself in later tweets. I find it hard sometimes to not be incredibly critical and even condemning of Kanye. How dare he call himself a god or say he's Jesus?

But the truth is we are all guilty of the idolatry of self. I want to be critical of Kanye. I even typed out a sarcastic tweet about him and his begging for more millions, but first I must get the plank out of my own eye before I condemn another.

No, Kanye and I aren't really that different. I don't declare I'm a god---not aloud anyway. But in my heart I feel the tension, I fight the battle daily, sometimes hourly to put away the idol of self. This struggle is evident every time I feel entitled to this or that, I spend more than minutes with wounded feelings over some slight, I put my own plans before the plans my Creator has for me. How often do I think, "I can't do that for God, I'd have to give up this or that?" How often do I feel jealousy when someone else's article is liked more than mine, or worse, when my article gets lots of praise and I think, "I know, I'm a great writer."

The idolatry of self is blinding. We need only look at the life of someone like Kanye who has achieved so much and has contributed even more, yet it has not been enough. I dare say the same is true of me. I may think if I get so many likes or achieve so many things, I'll arrive at some place of contentment or happiness, but the truth is I need only remove the idol of myself and instead focus on the one, true God. Then, I can be content no matter the circumstance, no matter the unrealized dream, or the difficult task.