What is an idol?
"An idol is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give" (Tim Keller, Counterfeit Gods).
And to paraphrase Martin Luther, "Behind every sin is an idol and behind every idol is a disbelief in the gospel."
We are created worshipping. We're always pouring out love, adoration, and trust somewhere. The question is if it is Jesus or a false god.
We don’t just have sinful actions and sinful words.
We have false worship, we love idols.
We have lies we believe and we disbelieve the gospel.
Idolatry is like anesthesia. It numbs us to reality. One of the symptoms of idolatry is less sensitivity to the truth of God’s word and more reliance on the world’s perspective about how to live.
But we know Jesus is the true God and eternal life (1 John 5:20). So we’re going to not volunteer for slavery and walk away from Jesus. We’ll know and turn from the idols in our hearts.
How can we identify our idols?
The book Gospel in Life gives a chart to help identify our idols.
Power Idolatry: “Life only has meaning/I only have worth if... I have power and influence over others.”
Approval Idolatry: “Life only has meaning/I only have worth if... I am loved and respected by _________________.”
Comfort Idolatry: “Life only has meaning/I only have worth if... I have this kind of pleasure experience, a particular quality of life.”
Control Idolatry: “Life only has meaning/I only have worth if... I am able to get mastery over my life in the area of ______________.”
Helping Idolatry: “Life only has meaning/I only have worth if... people are dependent on me and need me.”
Dependence Idolatry: “Life only has meaning/I only have worth if... someone is there to protect me and keep me safe.”
Independence Idolatry: “Life only has meaning/I only have worth if... I am completely free from obligations or responsibilities to take care of someone.”
Work Idolatry: “Life only has meaning/I only have worth if... I am highly productive and getting a lot done.”
Achievement Idolatry: “Life only has meaning/I only have worth if... I am being recognized for my accomplishments, and I am excelling in my work.”
Materialism Idolatry: “Life only has meaning/I only have worth if... I have a certain level of wealth, financial freedom, and very nice possessions.”
Religion Idolatry: “Life only has meaning/I only have worth if... I am adhering to my religion’s moral codes and accomplished in its activities.”
Individual Person Idolatry: “Life only has meaning/I only have worth if... this one person is in my life and happy to be there, and/or happy with me.”
Irreligion Idolatry: “Life only has meaning/I only have worth if... I feel I am totally independent of organized religion and am living by a self-made morality.”
Racial/Culture Idolatry: “Life only has meaning/I only have worth if... my race and culture is ascendant and recognized as superior.”
Inner Ring Idolatry: “Life only has meaning/I only have worth if... a particular social grouping or professional grouping or other group lets me in.”
Family Idolatry: “Life only has meaning/I only have worth if... my children and/or my parents are happy and happy with me.”
Relationship Idolatry: “Life only has meaning/I only have worth if... Mr. or Ms. ‘Right’ is in love with me.”
Suffering Idolatry: “Life only has meaning/I only have worth if... I am hurting, in a problem; only then do I feel worthy of love or able to deal with guilt.”
Ideology Idolatry: “Life only has meaning/I only have worth if... my political or social cause is making progress and ascending in influence or power.”
Image Idolatry: “Life only has meaning/I only have worth if... I have a particular kind of look or body image.”
Let's look at four of these idols from a different angle.
If you seek: Power (Success, winning, influence)
Your greatest nightmare: Humiliation
People around you often feel: Used
Your problem emotion: Anger
If you seek: Approval (Affirmation, love, relationships)
Your greatest nightmare: Rejection
People around you often feel: Smothered
Your problem emotion: Cowardice
If you seek: Control (Self-discipline, certainty, standards)
Your greatest nightmare: Uncertainty
People around you often feel: Used
Your problem emotion: Worry
If you seek: Comfort (Privacy, lack of stress, freedom)
Your greatest nightmare: Stress, demands
People around you often feel: Neglected
Your problem emotion: Boredom
"Guard yourselves from idols" (1 John 5:21).
If you are worshiping an idol now, turn your worship by repentance and turn to Jesus and believe him, adore him.
G.K. Beale puts it this way, “We become what we worship to our own ruin or restoration.”
The Bible describes idols as vain, worthless, empty, lifeless, and excrement.
But Jesus is the true God and eternal life. He is full of love and truth. His heart is gentle and lowly. He’s buoyant with joy. He radiates life.
You become what you worship to your own ruin or restoration: Jesus or idols? Which one do you want to become?