Idols | The Myth Of More
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:
We live in a culture that, as much as anything else, presses on us constantly the message that more is better. We’re trained daily to be dissatisfied with what we have and to pursue satisfaction in more, better, faster. Satisfaction, we are told, can be found in the next opportunity, the next promotion, the next purchase, the next relationship. At heart, it’s an attempt to find a good thing - contentment, satisfaction - in the wrong place, in something other than God. God is not against contentment / satisfaction, but he designed us in such a way that it can only truly be found in him. Augustine famously expressed this in his Confessions: ‘Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee.’ The Psalmist expressed this idea centuries before:
“Truly my soul finds rest in God” (Psalm 62:1).
“One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple” (Psalm 27:4).
So God has a better way for us, a true satisfaction and contentment that is found not in more, but in him. In the words of Jesus, Matthew 6:19-34:
“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” In contrast to temporary treasures that can be lost in an instant, invest in eternal things.
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” What you set your heart on is where you will belong
and what you will become, so choose carefully.
“Your heavenly Father.” There is no need to worry about, and chase after, the stuff of this life when your perfect Father is caring for you.
“Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” There is some simple logic here: worrying about accumulating possessions is incapable of adding anything to what really matters in life, and may in fact decrease from it.
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” More logic: you cannot affect tomorrow by worrying about it today.
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Therefore, seek first God’s kingdom and he can be trusted to make sure you have everything you need.
And Paul also explains that there is a better way than chasing after more:
In contrast to those “who think that godliness is a means to financial gain,” the truth is that “godliness with contentment is great gain.” Elsewhere Paul says “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation” (Philippians 4:12). Contentment is ultimately what everyone is looking for, but usually in the wrong places. Here Paul says “if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” and in Philippians 4 that he has learned how to be content “whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Contentment is not dependent on circumstances, but on whether we are at peace with God.
“For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” This is the stark reality for everyone who has ever lived and highlights the futility of living for the accumulation of wealth as if we will be able to take it with us when we die.
He then highlights some of the dangers that chasing after material things, whereby some “have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
Audio only
Dive in a little more…
What If the One You Wanted Still Leaves You Wanting?
Have you ever chased something — a dream, a relationship, a goal — thinking it would finally make you happy, only to discover it wasn’t what you hoped for?
You thought it would finally make you feel whole.
But the ache didn’t go away.
That’s exactly what happens in the story of Jacob, Rachel, and Leah in Genesis 29 — a story of longing, disappointment, and a surprising encounter with God’s faithful love.
The Morning That Changed Everything
Jacob had fallen hard for Rachel. He agreed to work seven long years to marry her — and the Bible says they flew by because of how much he loved her.
Then the wedding day came. There was celebration, music, and dancing.
But the next morning, everything changed:
“When morning came, there was Leah.”
— Genesis 29:25
He thought he was marrying Rachel. Instead, he woke up next to her older, less favoured sister.
When Love Disappoints
This story might sound ancient, but it touches something timeless in us.
We pour ourselves into people.
We dream of love, of being chosen, of finally feeling secure and wanted.
And sometimes we get the relationship, the family, the job, the future we pictured — but something still feels... missing. The joy is fleeting. The peace doesn’t last. The love isn’t as perfect as we imagined.
We thought we were getting “Rachel.”
But we woke up with “Leah.”
Because even the best human love has limits.
Even the most beautiful relationships can’t meet the deepest needs of your soul.
Leah’s Longing
Leah’s story is painfully relatable.
She was unloved by her husband and used by her father. So she tried to earn love — especially through motherhood. With each child, her heart’s cry was the same:
“Now my husband will love me.”
“Now he’ll finally be attached to me.”
But nothing changed. Until her fourth son.
This time, something shifted in her heart:
“This time I will praise the Lord.”
— Genesis 29:35
She named him Judah, which means praise.
She stopped looking for love in a man who never chose her.
And she turned her eyes to the God who always had.
The Love We Were Made For
There’s a reason even the best earthly love leaves us wanting.
As Tim Keller once said:
“Deep down, we all want something that cannot actually be had in this world.”
That “something” is actually a Someone.
We were made for a kind of love that no human being — not even the most faithful spouse or best friend — can give us. A love that is unconditional, unfailing, never distracted or distant.
Only Jesus loves like that.
His love doesn’t grow tired.
It doesn’t get bored.
It doesn’t change its mind.
Jesus sees you fully and still delights in you. He isn’t comparing you to someone else. He’s not keeping score. He’s not loving you out of obligation — but out of deep, joyful desire.
And unlike every other love, His will never disappoint you.
If You’re Feeling Unseen or Unloved
You’re not alone.
God saw Leah when no one else did. And He sees you too — not just the version of you that tries hard to impress others, but the real, tired, hurting you.
Even more — through Leah’s line, God brought redemption.
Judah became the ancestor of Jesus, the One who would come to rescue and restore us all.
That’s how God works: He brings beauty out of rejection, and joy from stories that felt like failures.
God’s Invitation
You don’t have to keep chasing “Rachel.”
You don’t have to keep looking to people to give you what only God can.
The love you’re longing for — the steady, satisfying, unconditional love — is found in Jesus.
Let Him be the One your heart depends on.
Let His love quiet your striving and hold your deepest fears.
Because once you’ve tasted the love of Christ, everything else pales in comparison.
He is the only One who won’t let you down.
And in Him, you are already fully known — and fully loved.
