Gaze on Christ’s Glory
August 8th, 2011
“The idols of our hearts have taken God’s place, attracting us with false promises of substitute glory. We need to feel the superior glory of Jesus Christ. We need to see that glory by faith. More than seeing is needed: we need to enjoy the beauty that is there, recognizing the true worth of Christ.”
Julian Hardyman, in Idols (2010), p. 187
Have you found yourself longing for something but God just isn’t providing it, and that’s frustrating you? Are you distracted by idols that are taking the place Christ deserves in your life, perhaps the idol of family, or achievement at work, owning a home, illicit sexual pleasure, or some other substitute for Jesus?
Julian Hardyman’s statement above reminds us that the best way to fight idolatry in your heart is to gaze on the blazing glory of Jesus Christ and let his excellency far surpass the excellence of your heart’s idols. Just as the brilliance of the noonday sun blots out any glimpse of other stars in the sky, let the Son rise in your heart, his splendor outshining all other desires!
How can we do this? Here are three ways I seek to gaze on Christ’s beauty when I find myself distracted by lesser lights:
1) Read the Gospels.
See Jesus put on display perfect, divine compassion, generosity, justice, goodness, and grace. Be in awe of the One who is like no other, and be drawn to him.
2) Talk to the Father about The Son.
While reading about Christ in the Bible, talk to God and express to him the glory of Christ which the passage has shown you. Extol Christ for his virtues and his mighty. Let your reading cause you to open up in praise to Him. Confess how Jesus is better than the substitutes you’ve been pining for.
3) Ask Friends What They’re Seeing About Christ.
Call a friend, email them, send them a Facebook message, and ask what they’ve been learning about Christ or seeing about him in their own lives. Let their worship fuel your own.
I’m grateful for Julian Hardyman’s diagnosis of our heart’s idols and his prescription for change–more of Christ. He’s the pastor of Eden Baptist Church in Cambridge, UK, and my brother’s pastor. His book Idols, published in 2010, has been instrumental in exposing and treating my heart’s substitutes for Jesus.
Update #1: Incidentally, Julian preached on idolatry the week his book Idols was released. You can listen to his helpful sermon here, called “Idols and Their Dangers.”
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