Equip | Resources for Spiritual Growth



Counterfeit Gods by Tim KellerWhat is an idol? It is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you only what God can give.A counterfeit god is anything so central and essential to your life that, should you lose it, your life would feel hardly worth living. Three biblical metaphors about idols, love , trust, serve—things that idolaters do w/idols Love, marital metaphor, delighting and desiring, look at daydreams and imaginationTrust, religious metaphor, a savior to us—giving us peace and security, look at our nightmares and fears.Serve, political metaphor, becomes so important, non-negotiable part of life, look at our unyielding emotions; what makes me uncontrollably angry, anxious, despondent, guilty?The only way to free ourselves from the destructive influence of counterfeit gods is to turn back to the true one. The living God, who revealed himself both at Mount Sinai and on the Cross, is the only Lord who, if you find him, can truly fulfill you, and, if you fail him, can truly forgive you.HappinessSomething is safe for us to maintain in your lives only if it has really stopped being an idol. That can happen only when we are truly willing to live without it, when we truly say from the heart: “Because I have God, I can live without you.” (20)Love“Your nobody till somebody loves you, “ went the popular song, and we are an entire culture that has taken it literally. We maintain the fantasy that if we find our true soul mate, everything wrong with us will be healed. But when our expectations and hopes reach that magnitude, as Becker says, “the love object is God.” No lover, no human being is qualified for that role. No one can live up to that. The inevitable result is bitter disillusionment. (29)If you are too afraid to love or too enamored by it, it has assumed a godlike power, distorting your perceptions and your life. (31)MoneyWe sell our souls to our idols. Because we look to them for our significance (love) or security (trust) we have to have them, and therefore we are driven to serve and essentially, obey them. When Jesus says that we “serve” money, he uses a word that means the solemn, covenantal service rendered to a king. If you live for money you are a slave. (57)Money is one of the most common counterfeit god there is. When it takes hold of your heart it blinds you to what is happening, it controls you through your anxieties and lusts, and it brings you to put it ahead of all other things. (58)Deeper Idols (64)Power, influenceApproval, appreciationComfort, emotional or physicalControl, security of their environmentSuccessMore than other idols, personal success and achievement lead to a sense that we ourselves are a god, that our security and value rest in our own wisdom, strength, and performance. To be the very best at what you do, to be at the top of the heap, means there is no on like you. You are supreme. (75)Modern society, then, puts a great pressure on individuals to prove their worth through personal achievement. It is not enough to be a good citizen, or family member. You must win, be on top, to show you are one of the best… the family has become a nursery where the craving for success is first cultivated. (78)Power and GloryPeople “at the top” are eager to attribute their position to their own intellect, savvy, and hard work. The reality is much more complicated. Personal connections, family environment, and what appears to be plain luck determine how successful a person is. We are the product of three things—genetics, environment, and our personal choices—but two of these three factors we have no power over. We are not as nearly as responsible for our success as our popular views of God and reality lead us to think. (116) To be your own God and live for your own glory and power leads to the most bestial and cruel kind of behavior. Pride makes you a predator, not a person. (121)Hidden IdolsWestern, secular cultures make an idol out of individual freedom, and this leads to the breakdown of the family, rampant materialism, careerism, and the idolization of romantic love, physical beauty, and profit. (130)Idols in our religion—making an idol out of doctrinal accuracy, ministry success, or moral rectitude leads to constant internal conflict, arrogance and self-righteousness, and oppression of those who views differ. These toxic effects of religious idolatry have led to widespread dissatisfaction with religion in general and Christianity in particular. (133)The End of Counterfeit GodsHave you heard God’s blessing in your inmost being? Are the words, “You are my beloved child, in whom I delight” an endless source of joy and strength? …Only that blessing makes idols unnecessary… it often takes an experience of crippling weakness for us to finally discover it. That is why so many of the most God-blessed people limp as they dance for joy (1 Cor. 1:25) (164)Identifying Your IdolsLook at imaginationWhat are you daydreaming about?Where do your thoughts effortlessly go?What do you habitually think about to get joy and comfort in the privacy of your own heart?Look at how you spend your moneyWhat you overspend on is often an uncontrollable idol.Look at what you are really living for, your saviorHow do you respond to unanswered prayers or frustrated hopes? What, when you don’t get it, makes you sad and disappointed? When are the time when, you don’t get something, that you respond with explosive anger or deep despair?Look at your most uncontrollable emotionsWhen angry ask, “Is there something here too important for me, something I must have at all costs?Ask the same thing with fear, despair and guiltWhy are overworking for something?Replacing your IdolsIdolatry is not just a failure to obey God, it is a setting of the whole heart on something besides God. (Col. 3:1-3)Jesus must become more beautiful to your imagination, more attractive to your heart, than your idol. (173)There is always something underneath your inordinate and out-of-control problems, desires, patterns, attitudes, and emotions. Until you find out what it is you cannot have life and peace. (174)It takes the spiritual disciplines of private prayer, corporate worship, and meditation…spiritual disciplines are basically forms of worship, and it is worship that is the final way to replace the idols of your heart… you have to actually get the peace that Jesus gives, and that only comes as you worship. Analysis can help you discover truths, but then you need to “pray them in” to your heart. That takes time. (175)Power IdolApproval IdolControlPositionInfluenceSuccessStrengthRelationshipsAchievementEthnicitySocial CirclesAppearanceSymptoms: Has to be in position of power, is demanding, wants the final decision, thwarts other leaders, bursts of anger.Symptoms: Takes criticism and failure badly, finds it hard to relax, is proud or envious, desires inclusion, craves recognition.Truth: God is glorious, so I don’t have to produce results.Truth: God is gracious, so I don’t have to prove myself.Security/Control IdolComfort IdolFamilyFinancesProtectionReligionSafetyFuturePleasureHealthFreedomExcessesHome and vehiclesRecreationSymptoms: Is overbearing, is inflexible, is impatient, irresponsible, hides weaknesses.Symptoms: Feels ministry is a burden, often complains, makes people feel like a burden or a duty, lacks joy, has inconsistent moods.Truth: God is great, so I don’t have to be in control.Truth: God is good, so I don’t have to look elsewhere for comfort, peace, and fulfillment. ................
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