A Car That Has No Engine And No Tires Is Not A Car

Yesterday, I had a really great and encouraging discussion about heart idols in a church small group.  We learned that heart idols are the real root of the external sins that are manifested in our lives and that in order to stop sinning, we must get to the root of the problem, our hearts.  We talked about how the Gospel speaks to each of these idols and about Jesus who actually delivers all of the treasures we think our idols will produce for us. 

I was thinking about idols again this morning.  I was crying out to God because I am aware of the crafty idols in my life.  They don’t sit on my heart’s throne in a visible manner making me daily bow down to them.  Much of the time these days they hide in corners of my heart and only reveal themselves when certain circumstances, environments, and relationships pop up.  I can often end up feeling pretty good about myself in between these “idol outbreaks.” 

But the reality is that they are still there and they always will be.  I think it was John Calvin who said that the human heart is an idol factory.  Just as soon as we have dealt with one idol and smashed it, we find that our heart has produced another.  I’ve found too that they tend to get uglier as I grow in Christlikeness.  My approval idol has the three heads of respect, success, and recognition.  Who wants to bow down to something that hideous?  But, sadly, I do it anyway. 

I’m thankful for what we uncovered and reinforced yesterday about idols.  And, even more importantly, I’m thankful for the truth of the Gospel that allows us to put idols to death and live more fully to Christ.  Jesus Christ truly delivers on all of the desires we have which we turn to idols to fulfill.  Whether it is acceptance, success, control, love, relationship, respect, feeling valuable…Jesus can be trusted.  When we allow Him to reign, we find that all of our hearts’ longings are met in Him. 

So what does any of this have to do with the title of this essay? 

I believe that when I am worshipping an idol instead of worshipping Jesus I am like a car that has no engine and doesn’t even have tires to be pushed down a hill.  Maybe I have a steering wheel and from the driver’s seat one could imagine zipping around corners and ramping over that big hill, but in reality, I’m not going anywhere. 

This is what life is like when I am chasing idols.  The Preacher in Ecclesiastes calls it a chasing after the wind.  What good does it do for me to chase after the wind?  Idols are simply variations of the wind.  It does no good to chase after them either.  What we find time and time again is that we have worked so hard to find fulfillment and only have empty hands to show for our efforts. 

Lord Jesus, I don’t want to be that kind of car!  I want to be moving and have purpose as a car.  I don’t want to look like a car but only be a Volkswagon Beetle flower bed in a hippie’s front yard or a Ford Crown Victoria catfish lair at the bottom of a river.  I want to have an engine and tires that make me useful as a car! 

So you see, idols prevent us from being useful.  If getting married is your idol, how likely is it that you’ll be able to be yourself in a dating relationship if you feel your only validation comes through being married?  If success is your idol, how likely are you to take risks and go for broke with such a tremendous fear of failure?  If respect is your idol, do you really think that demanding respect from others ends up earning you respect?  Or maybe life just won’t be complete unless you have children.  What happens if you never do?  Is your purpose ruined?  Or what if you are blessed with children and life gets much harder? 

Even good things, really good things, make terrible gods.  They just can’t satisfy us the way that we demand they do.  They leave us empty.  They leave us sad and angry.  They never come through like we need them to. 

But there is a God who satisfies completely.  He has promised good to all those who would lay their idols on the ground and smash them to bits and toss them in the furnace and melt them to nothing.  He satisfies because He is the True God who alone should be worshipped.  He satisfies because He comes through each and every time.  His name is Jesus, who is the Christ, the Son of God. 

Let us magnify His Name together!  In doing so, we find purpose and are made useful and can enjoy all of the good things in life the way that God intended for us to enjoy them. 

Lord, uproot these idols and smash them to pieces.  We long to worship You and You alone.  Please help us for we so often fail to see the deadly peril of idols and chase after them expecting great rewards.  As we seek You, please give us hearts like Paul who counted everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus.  Lord, to know You is to gladly suffer the loss of even the best this world has to offer.  Your steadfast love is better than life.  We worship You, Jesus.  Amen.