While Moses was atop mount Sinai receiving the commandments from the Lord, the children of Israel became fearful that Moses was taking too long. They wanted a god to worship and rather than commune with the true God themselves, they asked Aaron to make them a golden calf. Aaron complied and had the people donate their gold to molten their idol of choice (Exodus 32). When we read this story, we think how silly this all seems. No adult in their right mind would want to worship a golden calf -- would they?

As ridiculous as it seems, idols of wood, stone or precious metals were a common item of worship in that era. We today are no less foolish. Our idols may not take the form of golden calves, but they are computers, TVs, stereos, cars, jobs, prestige, money, honor, fame, etc. Anything that we put in a higher place in our hearts than God is an idol. As Jesus said, "where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matthew 6:21). We are not so different than the people Isaiah described: "their land is full of idols, they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made" (Isaiah 2:8).

I've spent a significant portion of the last 12 years worshiping the things my "own fingers have made." Careers can be idols too, you know. Those of us who turn our careers into idols rationalize that we are doing it to support our families. But let's be honest here, we don't do it to support our families. We do it because we either enjoy the praise and honor that it brings or we worship the money that it produces. For me, it was never about the money. It was always about the praise. There's much more praise in creating things with my fingers (web sites, articles, newsletters) than there is in taking time to spend with God or my family.

But, there's an even more important reason why we seek refuge in our idol of choice, and that is for escape. Some people turn to drugs, alcohol or food to forget their problems. For me, work is escape -- not just any work, but my favorite kind of work -- computer work. Computer work became my idol of choice. I used it to escape other kinds of work that have more eternal significance -- like raising a righteous family. It takes time to train children to be organized and keep things tidy. It takes time to teach them correct principles. If you're not willing to put in that time, things can get chaotic around a household full of children. Once that chaos and disorganization takes over, someone like me looks for the nearest escape hatch. She turns to the one place she can control and keep organized -- her computer!

To illustrate my point, I'd like to share with you the typical week in the life of a harried mother of six who hasn't taken the time to teach her children to consistently help out around the house.

Saturday
Saturday is official clean up day. Mom yells, guilt trips, bribes and uses whatever trick she can to get the children to do their part to clean up the mess they call a home. Begrudgingly they comply, doing the bare minimum. Some children are more willing to help and bear the brunt of the load while others are more work than they are worth. Eventually, Mom lets them escape rather than deal with the emotional stress of getting them to help. In the end, she spends the entire day doing the majority of the work while one by one the children vanish.

Sunday
After church, Mom feverishly prepares lunch for her starving brood and collapses in a heap next to Dad for their favorite past time -- a 2-3 hour Sunday nap. Upon arising, Mom assesses the price she has paid for her afternoon slumber. While the 14 year old played computer games, the three-year-old took pens to the walls. He and his sister's lunch is crumbled and smeared all over the living room floor. And the 12 and 10 year olds have trashed their room.

Monday
Back to square one. Come Monday morning, the house looks almost as bad as it did Saturday morning. Mom tries to bring the house under some semblance of control and gets to work on her job at the computer.

Thursday
By Thursday, the house is too far-gone. 6 people run behind Mom destroying faster than she can clean. So she buries herself in her computer. She makes up work she doesn't necessarily need to do. "I think I'll revamp that Web site," she says to herself. "Maybe I'll start a brand new one" she mulls. She checks email every 15 minutes throughout the day. Anything is better than the chaos that surrounds her. And the cycle continues.

Although I've long suspected my golden calf was computer work, I still felt helpless to control it. After all, I have to work on my computer; it's my job. It's sort of like a person who is obsessed with food. You have to eat. It's not like giving up alcohol or cigarettes. You stop them. But things that require moderation are trickier. When you're in the thick of things, it's hard to see when you've crossed that line between moderation and excess.

For the last three years, I've been trying to bring my life into balance. But not until I began taking the time to teach my children to consistently help around the house did I see how excessive my computer work still was. Three weeks ago, I began implementing three new practices that have made a world of difference.

The 15-Minute Cleanup. This tip came from my friend, Debbie Williams of OrganizedTimes, author of "Home Management 101: A Guide for Busy Parents." Each day, we take 15 minutes as a family to collectively clean the house. It's amazing what a mom and 5 kids can clean in 15 minutes!

The Meal Schedule: I create a 2-week meal calendar that tells me what we'll be eating each day of the week for dinner. I put it on a schedule and block out time for meal preparation and cleanup so that we can have a sit-down meal before everyone disperses for their evening activities. It's amazing how smoothly the afternoon and evening goes when I don't have to spend 30 minutes with my head in the fridge trying to figure out what to cook for dinner and when the dishes aren't left piled in the sink until morning.

One Hour with Mom: Each child gets at least one hour devoted to him or her with Mom each week. For example, Jillian gets her hour on Monday, Laurel gets hers on Tuesday, and Nate gets his on Wednesday and so on. Dad even gets a "date night" with Mom on Saturday. Everyone gets devoted time with Mom and she has to do whatever the child wants to do. We've played video games, watched movies, played basketball, football and baseball. I'm really enjoying getting to know my kids on a one-on-one basis. An added perk is that it keeps me out of the office in the evenings, because each child wants his/her night!

As I have implemented these three strategies, I have noticed that I spend at least half the time in front of the computer. I used to create so much busy work for myself. With the house under control, I'm more likely to do extra cleaning throughout the day. Family unity has increased, we spend more time together, and I am not nearly as stressed. To think it all could be so simple!

What's your idol? Why do you worship it? Do you use it for escape? If so, then what are you hiding from? Fix the source of your discomfort and soon you'll have no need for escape at all!

Gotta run... Nate just smeared peanut butter all over the wall. Hey, I never said these tips were fool proof! {LOL}

Marnie Pehrson, a mother of 6, has been highlighting truth and talent for 15 years. Whether it's writing a novel that spotlights individuals who've made a difference in the world or helping a talented entrepreneur create a platform for his life's work, Marnie underscores truth and talent in innovative and compelling ways. She is the creator of www.IdeaMarketers.com and helps experts promote their products and services online. For more information on her various projects and books, visit http://www.pwgroup.com. Contact the author, Marnie Pehrson , at marnie@pwgroup.com
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