Idols | What Are You Living For? We All Worship Something
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 Ten Commandments are, of course, one of the most famous sections of Scripture. The vast number of Israelites have only recently escaped from Egypt (19:1 refers to “the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt”) and are now camped in the desert in front of Mount Sinai (19:2). Chapter 19 then records Moses journeying up the mountain three times to hear from God and back down the mountain three times to speak to the people. Chapter 20 begins with Moses and the people hearing God speak the ten commandments. The first four relate to loving God and the latter six to loving people in God’s community; clearly the two sets of commands are related.
They are a summary and basis of all the laws God will give them. It’s important to note that before any requirements are made of the people, God reminds them of his prior gracious act of deliverance: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery,” v 2. This is a principle found throughout the Bible - God’s gracious initiative is always the foundation for our obedience. Our love for him is always a response to his love for us (cf. 1 John 5:19).
The first commandment, not surprisingly, is the headline for all that follows - God’s people are to have no other gods before him: ie. instead of him, in place of him, ahead of him in terms of priority. ‘The point is clear...God demands absolute allegiance, to the exclusion of all other deities’ (netbible.org). This exclusive relationship is built on God’s decisive actions: they are his people, chosen by him, delivered by him, provided for by him; nothing else in all creation should take his place as the one they trust, obey and love. It is not even that they can have other gods as long as he is their number one god. He and he alone is to be the one they love, serve and depend upon.
In v 5 God adds “for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.” ‘The word describes the ardent, protective zeal Yahweh displays toward His covenant people and His own honor. Rather than suggesting petty envy, it portrays the intensity with which God safeguards the exclusivity of the relationship He established through covenant’ (biblehub.com).
And so, knowing the propensity of the human heart to worship, God commands, v 4, that they must “not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below” because if they did so such an image would very soon be something they would bow down to and worship, v 5.
God has placed into the human race the desire / need to worship - to find something outside itself worthy of devotion. This desire was placed by God because, rightly expressed, it means we are drawn to God. But the potential for desiring / worshipping things other than God has been there ever since the Fall. The good desire is still there, but there is a constant temptation to satisfy that desire in things other than God.
So how do we identify whether we do, in fact, have other gods; even whether we have a god before God? Back to comments made earlier in these notes, we could ask questions such as these:
What takes up the majority of my time?
What takes up the majority of my thoughts?
What things am I truly passionate about?
In what am I placing my hope for meaning and value?
What makes me most happy or sad? On which things do my emotions swing most often?
What do I think I could not live without?
Audio only
Devotional:
Who — or What — Sits on Your Throne?
Exodus 20:1–3
When God spoke the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai, the mountain shook, the sky thundered, and the people trembled. Into that moment, God declared:
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.”
It’s striking that before God commands anything, He reminds Israel of what He has already done for them: “I brought you out of Egypt… out of slavery.” Grace first. Obedience second.
But God also knew the human heart. Even after miracles, rescue, and provision, Israel’s heart wandered. Ours do too.
What’s on Your Throne?
Louie Giglio once wrote:
“Follow the trail of your time, money, affection, energy, and allegiance.
At the end of that trail is a throne… and whatever sits on that throne is what you worship.”
Everyone worships something.
Maybe your “god” is success, image, comfort, relationships, control, or the future you’re chasing. These things aren’t bad — until they take God’s place.
And when they do, they break under the weight of our hope.
Why God Wants to Be First
God doesn’t demand first place because He’s insecure.
He does it because He’s the only one worthy — and because it’s the best thing for us.
Like a loving parent setting boundaries for a child, God’s command is an act of grace.
We’re made to live with Him at the centre. Anything else becomes a burden.
Reflection Questions
What do I think about most in quiet moments?
What most often drives my emotions?
What do I feel I cannot live without?
Where do I look for meaning or identity?
Your answers point you toward the throne of your heart.
Prayer
Lord,
Search my heart and show me anything that has taken Your place.
Thank You for rescuing me before I ever obeyed You.
Help me love You with all my heart,
and teach me to place You — and You alone — on the throne of my life.
Amen.
