idols for easter
At Easter, hymns, banners, signs and cards all call us to rejoice. As Tim Keller defines it, “To rejoice is to treasure a thing, to assess its value to you, to reflect on its beauty and importance until your heart rests in it and tastes the sweetness of it.” In Luke 9:18-20, Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answers, “The Christ of God.” He recognizes Jesus as his king and his master. Dick Keyes expounds, “That most basic question which God poses to each human heart: has something or someone besides Jesus Christ taken title to your heart’s functional trust, preoccupation, loyalty, service, fear and delight?”
The Bible considers our alternative sources of meaning and worth idolatry. Martin Lloyd-Jones explains, “An idol is anything in my life that occupies the place that should be occupied by God alone. An idol is anything that holds such a controlling position in my life that it moves and rouses and attracts me so easily that I give my time, my attention, my energy and my money to it effortlessly.” Recently my pastor identified 4 main sources of idolatry: power, approval, comfort and control. As our church dug deeper many specific idols began to surface. For example,
Work- “Life has meaning/ I have worth if I am highly productive and getting a lot done.”
Materialism- “Life has meaning/ I have worth if I have a certain level of wealth, financial freedom, and nice possessions.”
Achievement- “Life has meaning/ I have worth if I am being recognized for my accomplishments and I am excelling in my career.”
Religion (a.k.a. legalism)- “Life has meaning/ I have worth if I am adhering to a moral code and accomplished activities.”
Suffering- “Life has meaning/ I have worth if I am hurting and in a problem. Only then do I feel noble and able to deal with guilt.”
Helping- “Life has meaning/ I have worth if people are dependent on me and need me.”
Family- “Life has meaning/ I have worth if my children or my parents are happy and happy with me.”
Dependence- “Life has meaning/ I have worth if so-and-so is there to protect me and keep me safe.”
Ideology- “Life has meaning/ I have worth if my political party or social cause is making progress and ascending in influence and power.”
In light of Easter I have to ask myself, “Is Jesus the source of my heart’s trust, preoccupation, loyalty, service, fear and delight? Do I delight in His death and resurrection? Do I treasure His saving grace, assess its value to me and reflect on its beauty and importance until my heart rests in it and tastes the sweetness of it?” To answer truthfully means admitting I hold fast to my idols, all the while claiming that Jesus is my Lord. When I audit my time, my attention, my energy and my money it becomes clear that Jesus serves as more of a figurehead for me than an actual master, king or Lord.
What do I do about this idol worship? Tim Keller points out, “We cannot change our hearts just through will power, through moral reformation, through learning Biblical principles and trying to carry them out. Ultimately, our hearts can only truly change as we use the gospel to change their basic ways of operating- to change the main things we put our heart’s greatest hopes in, the main things we find our heart’s deepest joys and glories in.” Today, as you consider Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, I challenge you to audit your heart. I dare you to answer the question Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?”
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