Tim Keller on Idolatry
by Justin on Nov.02, 2009, under Christianity, daily life
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In a recent article, Tim Keller addresses idolatry with relevance, clarity, and precision. His insights definitely strike a few chords with me. Here are a few quotes:
“An idol is something you rely on instead of God for your salvation…”
“We tend to worry about drugs, drinking, and pornography. But it’s not bad and nasty things that are our biggest problems. Sex, work, and money are great goods. They are intrinsic to our being made in God’s image. If God is second place in your life and one of them is first, you’re cooked. These things are candidates for first place because they are so great.”
(How does someone identify their idols?)
“Look at your daydreams. When you don’t have to think about something, like when you are waiting for the bus, where does your mind love to rest? Or, look at where you spend your money most effortlessly. Also, if you take your most uncontrolled emotions or the guilt that you can’t get rid of, you’ll find your idols at the bottom. Whenever I hear someone say, “I know God forgives me, but I can’t forgive myself,” it means that person has something that is more important than God, because God forgives them. If you look at your greatest nightmare—if something were to happen that would make you feel you had no reason to live—that’s a god.”
A synopsis of his new book, Counterfeit Gods:
