why i love other things

This is a great statement by John Piper:

I speak of love for [Reformed Theology] the way I speak of loving a cherished photo of my wife. I say, “I love that picture.” You won’t surprise me if you point out, “But that’s not your wife, that’s a picture.” Yes. Yes. I know it’s only a picture. I don’t love the picture instead of her, I love the picture because of her. She is precious in herself. 

The picture is precious not in itself, but because it reveals her. That’s the way theology is precious. God is valuable in himself. The theology is not valuable in itself. It is valuable as a picture. That’s what I mean when I say, “I love reformed theology.” It’s the best composite, Bible-distilled picture of God that I have (quoted from Bloodlines, 129-130).

I love this because first, I easily identify. I am going through some very old family photos I got from my Dad. I am bothered that so many are physically damaged. I don't throw any away. I find many that are duplicate photos of ones I already have - I don't throw those away either, I keep them with the others. They are precious. Why? In and of themselves they are not of value but I love deeply the what they represent that in that sense, they do have value. As Piper said, I love them not instead of who they represent but because of who they represent.

The application is this is the way I also love Reformed Theology. More so, this is the way I love Theology and the Bible and ...

Is it possible to love these things over the God behind them? Yes. Would that be error? Yes. But loving them for the God behind them, no - that's good. Don't reject the good because some who don't love Him love these.