holding people high

We all have our favorite people: authors, Bible figures, publishers, etc. We could all list them, and we'd probably start judging each other based on that list. Some of my favorite authors and theologians are Elisabeth Elliot, C.S. Lewis, Martha Peace, John Piper, R.C. Sproul, John MacArthur, Elizabeth George, Jerry Bridges, Frances Chan, and Francine Rivers, just to name a few.

Maybe it's my personality or my own mere humanness, but I've been finding myself holding these people high. Doesn't sound that bad, does it? But yep, it is. Do I dare call it idolatry? Yes, I do. There are even people within a 10-mile radius of our home whom I'd consider as favorite people.

The truth is...people are people. Human. Sinful. Fallen. Just like me. Anything good coming out of these people isn't from them at all. Anything good, righteous, or true is from God. "Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?" (Psalm 15:1) Obviously, we don't measure up. And neither do these authors and theologians. If we did measure up, there'd be no need for a Savior. We never will meet that standard.

But Christ does. We are to clothe ourselves with Christ. He is our righteousness. It does me no good to hold people or ideas high. It only does me good to look away from myself and this world and rest in Jesus Christ. Hebrews 12:1-2 challenged me this morning. "Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

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