When Good Things Become Idols

When we think about idolatry, our minds often go straight to the Old Testament. Images, statues, and foreign gods that people worshiped in place of the true and living God. But idolatry is not just an ancient issue. It’s a very present one.

Anything we elevate above God, whether it’s in our thoughts, our priorities, or our desires can become an idol.

What Idolatry Looked Like Then

In the Old Testament, idolatry was often literal. People bowed down to carved images or sacrificed to false gods. God’s people were warned repeatedly not to put their trust in what their hands had made, but in Him alone.

What Idolatry Looks Like Today

Today, we may not be worshiping golden calves, but the heart issue is still the same. Even good things can become idols when they are out of place.

• Marriage – A beautiful gift, but not meant to replace our devotion to God.

• Children – A blessing from the Lord, but never meant to take His place.

• Healing – Something we all long for, but our pursuit of it should never come before our pursuit of Him.

• Talents and Passions – For me, even something like singing; good in itself, can turn into an idol if I value it above the One who gave me the gift.

Idolatry, at its core, is about misordered love. When we put anything, even something good, in God’s rightful place, it becomes an idol.

A Call Back to Refocus

The question we all have to ask is:

What has my heart?

Is there something I’m running to, clinging to, or hoping in more than God?

The good news is that God calls us back to Him with open arms. He is not asking us to let go of good things. He’s asking us to keep them in their right place, beneath Him, not above Him.

---

👉🏾 I talk more about this in my latest podcast episode, “Idolatry,” where I share both biblical insights and personal reflections. You can listen here:🎧 Watch on YouTube

Blessings,

Nae🫶🏽