Idols | The Badge Of Busyness
About this series:
To follow Jesus as Lord means putting nothing before Him. This is not only right but logical: no one is greater, no one satisfies more. Yet the daily struggle of discipleship is the pressure—both within and around us—to live as though something else is more worthy.
Christians have long understood this in terms of idols. Tim Keller defines an idol as “anything more important to you than God…anything you seek to give you what only God can give.” Martin Luther said, “Whatever your heart clings to and relies upon, that is your God.” John Piper calls it “anything we rely on for blessing or guidance in place of wholehearted trust in the living God.”
Scripture is clear from the start:
“You shall have no other gods before me” (Ex. 20:3; Deut. 5:7).
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind” (Matt. 22:37).
The danger is profound. Idols dishonor God, deceive us with false promises, and deform us into their image: “Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them” (Ps. 115:8). Humanity is wired to ascribe worth to something beyond itself, but this longing finds fulfillment only in the Creator: “Trust in the Lord—he is their help and shield” (Ps. 115:11). Only He truly satisfies, only He is worthy, only He is “the way, the truth, and the life” (Jn. 14:6).
Identifying idols is not always simple. Good gifts from God can quietly become an idol that replaces him. However, questions like these can help us begin to probe our hearts and minds:
What consumes most of my time and thoughts?
What stirs my emotions most deeply?
What do I feel I cannot live without?
Where do I place my hope for meaning and worth?
About this talk:
‘The busier we are, the more important we seem to ourselves and, we imagine, to others. To be unavailable to our friends and family, to be unable to find time for the sunset (or even to know that the sun has set at all), to whiz through our obligations without time for a single mindful breath, this has become the model of a successful life’ (Wayne Muller).
Work is a good thing, something God designed mankind to engage in - “the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” (Genesis 2:15). The word translated as “work” in the NIV has the meaning of tilling the soil, work, service and is even used of worship in the Old Testament. To engage in productive labour, caring for both people and the earth, using our time and talents for the benefit of others and the glory of God is a good thing. Kenneth Matthews comments, ‘In the garden God gives man a purposeful existence that includes overseeing his environment. Work is God-given assignment…the biblical account portrays God as Provider for man’s needs, a part of which is the honourable, meaningful labor of tilling the soil.’
And yet, every good thing God gives to mankind can be turned for bad and even become an idol. So it is with work, which can become a source of meaning, fulfilment and striving such that it occupies a god-like place in our lives. For some it eventually becomes an altar at which they sacrifice themselves in the hope of fulfilment. Reasons for this drivenness to work include cultural background, personality type, fear of failure, desire for more and need for recognition.
Ecclesiastes is a fascinating book. ‘The author’s goal [is to] deconstruct all the ways we find meaning and purpose apart from God’ (https://bibleproject.com/guides/book-of-ecclesiastes/ - which provides a very helpful guide to the book of Ecclesiastes). With the famous phrase “Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless” (1:1) the author introduces his (or the Teacher’s) theme that all the things we hope in outside God are ultimately vanity, empty, a vapour.
The Teacher expresses this meaninglessness about various aspects of life and in 2:17-23 he expresses his hatred of all the work-related toil he has expended in his life:
Because he ultimately can’t keep any of it (2:18-21).
Because of all the striving and stress it has involved (2:22-23).
So, how do we find a right, biblical balance? Given that we serve God just as fully when we are engaged with the church on Sunday mornings, how can we ensure our place of work is a route to healthy service rather than an altar of worship; that it leaves us neither exhausted and stressed or in a pit of meaningless despair?
The author gives his answer at the very end of the letter: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (12:13-14). “Fear God and keep his commandments” - find delight in trusting God and his good gifts, without seeking to find ultimate meaning in any of his good gifts. Everything will pass, including all the work you have done, but beyond death God will judge everything, including (from the perspective of the New Testament) our trust in Jesus.
So during this life, we should recognise our God-given purpose and seek to bring that into our workplace rather than chasing after a self-serving purpose in that workplace. ‘No matter what our job is, we view it not as our purpose in life but rather as where God has sovereignly placed us for the purpose of making Christ known and his name great. If you are a teacher, if you are a politician, if you are a businessman, if you are in agriculture, if you are in construction, if you are in technology, if you are in the arts, then you should not be saying, ‘I need to find my life’s purpose in this work,’ but rather, ‘I need to bring God’s purpose to this work’’ (Matt Chandler).
Audio only
Dive in a little more…
Ask yourself…is work influencing your decisions and behaviour more than God and His word?
Not long ago, the world’s top golfer said something surprising. After winning tournament after tournament, Scottie Scheffler reflected:
“This is not a fulfilling life. It’s fulfilling from the sense of accomplishment, but it’s not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart.”
Similarly, actor Jim Carrey once said:
“I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”
We live in a world that tells us our identity is something we achieve — especially through work. But what if we’ve got that the wrong way around?
The Bible describes idols as those things in our lives, even things that aren’t inherently wrong, that influence our decision-making and behaviour more than God and His Word. And for many of us, work is exactly that — even if it doesn’t look like it on the surface.
Two Common Views of Work
In Ecclesiastes 2, Solomon — described as the wisest man who ever lived — reflects on the point of it all. His life was full of success and wealth, but he came to see that none of it truly satisfied.
Let’s look at two modern ways we often approach work, and how each one falls short:
Work as God – “I Am What I Achieve”
Meet Kwame. Moved to London from Ghana. Landed a great job in marketing. He says he works hard to support his parents, but truthfully, he needs to prove to everyone he’s made it. His identity rises and falls with his performance reviews.
Or Elena. Works in a Christian charity. She’s passionate, dedicated, and incredibly busy — church, fundraising, always serving. But her family barely sees her. Her worth is so tied up in her ministry that she’s started neglecting the people God gave her first.
Work has become an idol — influencing decisions more than God.
Work as Garbage – “I Work to Escape”
Maybe you're not overworking — you’re checking out.
Mark works long hours in real estate, but lives for the weekend. His job pays the bills; hobbies bring the joy. He’s emotionally absent at home because rest is what he truly values.
Or Aisha. She’s a bright student, but with no one watching, she’s coasting — bingeing TikTok, staying up late, drifting. For her, work is just a side hustle; ease is the ultimate goal.
In both cases, rest or comfort has become the idol.
But God has not called us to a life of ease but a life of mission, a life of purpose — to create, contribute, and reflect the image of our Creator.
Work as a Gift – “I Work From Purpose”
Now let’s look at a better way. One where work isn’t your god, and it’s not garbage either. It’s a gift from God.
Work is NOT a consequence of the fall. God gave Adam work before the fall — ’to work the garden’. God rested on the 7th day, which meant he worked for 6.
Work is part of how we reflect God, whether it's paid or unpaid, glamorous or unseen.
Our work doesn't give us purpose; rather, our purpose gives life to our work.
And what is our purpose?
To enjoy, express, and extend the Kingdom of God by living out the Fruit of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control.
How do we see Work as a Gift?
If work (or rest) is influencing your decisions and behaviour more than God and His word, it may be time for a reset.
We can see work as a gift to steward when we realise that our acceptance, significance and security come from God, not from work or rest.
Work does not define our identity; rather, it is an opportunity to demonstrate our identity as children of God.
Work is a gift — but only when it flows from knowing who you are and Whose you are.
