Idols | The Better Way: What You Were Made For
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:
At the end of the day, things work best when we follow the maker’s instructions - whether that’s erecting an IKEA flat pack, cooking a preset meal or living our entire lives. While other ‘gods’ promise much, their ability to deliver is unpredictable and only ever partial. Much of which is promoted by companies who tap into our desires and exploit us for profit. And in a world that tries to validate each and every way of living, there remains just one way that is better - which sounds very exclusive and discriminatory to our modern way of thinking, but it remains true because it comes from the one who is “the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6).
Mark 12 records Jesus being tested with a variety of questions: the Pharisees and Herodians asking about paying taxes (vs 13-17), the Sadducees asking about marriage at the resurrection (vs 18-27) and one of the teachers of law asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” (vs 28-34).
The dominant Jewish culture was, of course, God-fearing, though v. rules-focussed. The Rabbis had identified 613 commandments in God’s law and there was debate about which were ‘heavy’ and which were ‘light.’ And they added many other rules to ensure they didn’t break any commandments - another level of ‘fencing’ around the commandments. And there were debates about whether Scripture contained an overriding principle, a greatest / weightiest commandment. Eg. Hillel: ‘What you yourself hate, do not do to your neighbour: this is the whole Law.’
So here the teacher of the law is asking, “Teacher, what do you think is the overriding principle, the most important commandment?” Presumably his answer would be twisted to incriminate him. Quoting Deuteronomy 6, Jesus boils it all down to loving God with all you have. Which means a range of things from honouring God as God, obeying him because he is God, enjoying him, delighting in him, surrendering everything to him, putting him first at all times; loving him for who he is and what he does. And then, quoting Leviticus 19, Jesus implies that such a love for God will flow out in love to others too. In Matthew’s account, Jesus concludes by saying that “All the Law and the Prophets (everything God has said) hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:40).
Which is a way of saying: this is the better way that you were made for. Not only because God is worthy of all you have and because people created in his image are worthy of your love and care; but also because this is the life you were created for and which will ultimately satisfy. John Piper famously rephrased the answer to the first question in the Westminster Shorter Catechism. The original asks “What is the chief end of man?” with the answer “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.” Reflecting on something C. S. Lewis wrote, Piper concluded, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God by enjoying him forever.”
Human beings are created with an innate desire to worship - to honour and ascribe ultimate worth to God, loving him with all they have. It is this inbuilt desire that people seek to satisfy, often in so many other ways than in God. His call to us is to return to finding our deepest joy, fulfillment and meaning in him and so to discover the better way that we were made for.
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Devotional: Choosing the Better Way
Mark 12:28–34
When a teacher of the law asked Jesus, “What is the most important commandment?” Jesus reached back to the ancient words every Jew knew by heart:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.”
These words sound familiar, but the Hebrew behind them carries a deeper, more challenging meaning.
Heart (levav) — your thoughts, motives, intentions, and decisions
Soul (nephesh) — your whole life: body, relationships, identity, commitments
Strength (me’od) — your “muchness”: every resource you have—time, energy, influence, finances
To love God is to surrender all these areas to Him.
Not as a forced surrender—but a joyful response to the One who surrendered Himself first on the cross.
And Jesus adds a second command:
“Love your neighbour as yourself.”
Forgive, seek their good, and release bitterness—because you cannot genuinely love God while holding on to hatred.
Surrender can feel costly, but the irony is that it leads to freedom.
When we surrender our decisions, God gives wisdom.
When we surrender our connections, God brings healing.
When we surrender our resources, God gives peace.
His way is not just better—it is the only way that leads to life.
Discussion Questions
Heart: Which of your thoughts, habits, or desires do you sense God inviting you to surrender?
Soul: Are there relationships or commitments that pull you away from God? What might surrender look like there?
Strength: How do you use your time, energy, and finances? What is one area you struggle to trust God with?
Neighbour: Is there someone you need to forgive or seek peace with? What makes this difficult?
Freedom: Can you think of a time when surrendering to God brought unexpected peace or clarity?
Application
This week, choose ONE of the three: heart, soul, or strength.
Ask God: “What specific act of surrender are You calling me to make?”
Then practice it intentionally:
Heart: Replace one destructive thought or temptation with Scripture each day.
Soul: Step back from one unhealthy connection or recommit to a godly one.
Strength: Give God control of one resource—serve someone with your time, or give financially in a way that costs you.
Finish the week by praying: “Lord, Your way is better. Teach me to surrender.”
