There has been a lot written lately on the subject of idolatry. Tim Keller’s most recent book highlights this issue. In a ‘Leadership’ magazine article, John Ortberg posed some helpful questions particularly for those involved in church leadership. All of us are in danger of taking our eyes of Jesus – as the Lord of the church and allow ourselves to be so driven and preoccupied by church that she becomes an idol. Here are the questions:

So I’ve started using a little IQ test, to help me assess my Idolatry Quotient. You can pass it along to someone who needs it:

—Where does my sense of security come from—from God, or from how my church is doing?

—After a worship service, do I find myself grateful that God is God and feeling joyful that I get to live in his care? Or—if I’m honest—are my emotions dictated more by how many bodies were in the room?

—Do I spend more time thinking about God, or thinking about how to make my church/ministry do better?

—How do I feel when the prospect for more prizes in the church tournament—recognition, praise, reputation, applause—get taken away from me?

—Does my sense of identity flow more out of my relationship with God or out of my performance at church?

—How much do I sacrifice to know God better versus how much do I sacrifice for my church to work better?