When the Idol of Pleasure Replaces God
After Thanksgiving dinner, the second slice of pie never quite hits like the first. God built a reward system into every one of us. When it works the way He designed it, we eat, work, and reach for the people we love. The idol of pleasure shows up when the pleasure centre of our brains starts controlling us.
Prefer to listen or watch? Visit the Lead Biblically podcast or YouTube channel.
Paul’s Warning About the Idol of Pleasure
Near the end of his life, Paul gave his apprentice Timothy eighteen marks of people who don’t follow God. The list starts with lovers of self, then moves to lovers of money, and eventually ends here:
“lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.” (2 Timothy 3:4-5, ESV)
Jesus pictures the same danger in the parable of the sower:
“And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.” (Luke 8:14, ESV)
The thorns grow right alongside the seed, and nothing looks wrong at first.
Why More Never Feels Like Enough
Stanford psychiatrist Dr. Anna Lembke explains that when we experience pleasure, the brain tips one way, and when we experience pain, it tips the other. She calls it “an ingenious method” to make sure that whatever we enjoy doesn’t last very long. (Hu, 2022, “Break the cycle of addiction with these strategies to keep dopamine in check,” NPR Life Kit)
Picture a playground teeter totter. Pleasure pushes one end down, and the brain levels it back out. So the same video game, doomscroll, coffee, or donut gives us a little less each time, and the chase begins.
Where the Chase Takes Root
Like every idol, this one grows in three places:
- Identity: the next adventure, the next like, the next high score.
- Security: comfort food after a hard day, a scroll, one more episode.
- Belonging: a yes to every night out, or friendships built around a shared indulgence.
Each one feels good until it fades. Then we reach again while God gets pushed to the edges of our desire.
A Simple Test to Loosen the Idol of Pleasure
Give your brain some room to level out. This week, take a break from the pleasure you reach for most and don’t indulge until day seven. Notice what happens in your mind, body, and emotions.
Paul gave the early church a guardrail:
“‘All things are lawful for me,’ but not all things are helpful. ‘All things are lawful for me,’ but I will not be dominated by anything.” (1 Corinthians 6:12, ESV)
That last line is the test. If we can’t go a few days without something, it’s likely dominating us.
Proverbs adds a vivid picture of the end result:
“If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit it.” (Proverbs 25:16, ESV)
Where Our Satisfaction Comes From
One week of will power will still leave the pull. This is because the sinful desire underneath will keeps using that pleasure to draw us away from God. We can enjoy pleasurable experiences, but we were made to find our satisfaction in a relationship with Him.
Jesus came, lived the life we couldn’t live, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again. When we trust Him, we receive a new identity, lasting security, and eternal belonging. If you’re tired of the chase, today is a good day to turn to Him.
Join the Conversation; Answer This Question
- Which pleasure do you reach for most often, and what do you hope it gives you?
