In his book, Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex and Power, and the Only Hope That Matters, Tim Keller makes the point that idolatry is rampant in this world of ours. No, we don’t bow down and burn incense to exotic wooden figurines on the mantelpiece in our homes. But don’t let that throw you off: “… internal idol worship, within the heart, is universal” (p. xiv).
We take good things, like a successful career, love, possessions, even family, and turn them into ultimate things (xiv). This brings us to another of Keller’s key points: we’re not drawn to idolize horrible things, but the good—beautiful gifts from the Lord. And yet, if you make the good into the supreme, the Supreme One is demoted in your heart. And that’s a problem!
How do you spot an idol in your life? “If anything becomes more fundamental than God to your happiness, meaning in life, and identity, then it is an idol” (xix). Maybe it’s love: “We look to sex and romance to give us the transcendence and sense of meaning we used to get from faith in God” (28). But no lover is qualified for this—that is, none but Jesus, the true “lover of my soul.” Maybe it’s money. Or is greed not your struggle? Be careful: greed hides itself from its victim; none of us should assume we’re free of its destructive reach (53).
Be assured, regardless of its glitter, every idol disappoints. It doesn’t matter how attractive or socially acceptable it is: only God “… can truly fulfill you, and, if you fail him, can truly forgive you” (xxiv).
Hebrews 12 teaches how God disciplines us because he loves us. So when he threatens or removes our idols, even though we find this more painful than anything, it is, of course, for our good. Nothing is better than to be able to pray to God, “… if I have you, I have the only wealth, health, love, honor, and security I really need and cannot lose” (19).
Where do we get power to overcome idolatry? Well, spiritual maturation is a life-long process (176), so battling idols and slaying sin (Rom 8:13) is ongoing. But we can gain victories, and it’s done as we relish the superior love of Christ (44). Idols can’t simply be removed, but they can be replaced—supplanted by the One who truly loves us (71). “To the degree that you grasp the gospel, money will have no dominion over you” (67-68). The key is for Christ to captivate your soul! Worship of our Great God “is the final way to replace the idols of your heart” (175).
