How Many Gods Will it Take?

The city of Athens was full of idols to various gods.

I can imagine that they had collected them through various conquests. Or perhaps through the travelers who came from different countries and cultures. The Athenians may have even seen various gods in their own travels and brought them back to their city.

They wanted to be sure that they had the favor of all the gods on their side. They wanted security, prosperity, safety and importance to be rained upon them from as many gods as possible.

In fact, just to be sure, they had one statue "To An Unknown God." Just to be certain that they weren't missing anything, some wise person had this idol built (Acts 17).

The whole picture of this thorough idolatry reveals a deep dissatisfaction in the city. Maybe there was something out there that they were missing. There was a hunger for more. A desire to live it up, yet a realization that they didn't have everything.

Paul preached to the philosophers in Athens about this God who was unknown to them. He explained to them about the Creator and Sustainer of life. When he got to the resurrection, some ridiculed and some wanted to hear more.

Many of us have heard this message of God and even trust His plan of redemption through the cross of Christ.

But are we still like the Athenians?

We've got Jesus, who guarantees us eternal life in His presence and not in the lake of fire. But what about our satisfaction in Him?

Are we adding more gods to the shelf? Are we still looking for satisfaction in this life through other gods? Always looking but never really finding?

A bigger house, a better job, a better education, a loving spouse, obedient children, a healthy retirement plan, an expanded ministry - those things are not necessarily bad. Unless they've become gods like the Athenians had.

If we are craving those things, doing whatever it takes to get them, even choosing to sin in order to have them, what is it revealing about our hearts?

Would you still be content if all of those things were taken away from you?

What would it take for you to be completely satisfied in Christ alone?