Photo credit: Beliefnet
Editor's Note: This post was first published April 11, 2028, and revised for republication today.
Whenever the word Idol is mentioned, we automatically think of an image or other material object representing a deity to which religious worship is addressed. While some do worship an image or other material objects today the more prevalent idols for us fall into the category of fallacies and fantasies. These are idols that we often begin to worship unknowingly or things we believe we can control, and before we know it we have fallen into full blown idolatry. They are insidious so be careful and guard your heart.
Proverbs 4:23 (NLT) Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
20 Disastrous Idol To Avoid
The human heart by its very design is prone to worship, God designed it that way for His glory. But sometimes we fill that vacuum with the wrong things and remove God from first place in our life...resulting in unhealthy attachments, which become idols.
Personal Success
Personal success and gain can keep us from fully entering the Kingdom of God. This was true in the case of the young rich man, when he sadly refused Jesus' offer to follow Him.
Matthew 19:16-22 (NLT)16 Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”17 “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.”18 “Which ones?” the man asked. And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely.19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’”20 “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?”21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”22 But when the young man heard this, he went away very sad, for he had many possessions.
People Pleasing
The story of Mary and Martha teaches us that, serving others is a great thing, but not if it gets in the way of us sitting quietly at the feet of Jesus.
Luke 10:38-42 (NLT)38 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed them into her home.39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught.40 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details!42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Religious Figures
Give honor where honor is due but be mindful not to give your pastor or other religious figures more honor than you give the Lord.
Romans 13:7 (ASV)7 Render to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.
Mark 12:29-30 (NLT)29 Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD.30 And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.
Comfort
Convenience can keep us from being generous at a time when the Lord asks us to give. Let us always be quick to follow His lead, even if He asks us to sacrifice our comfort.
Philippians 4:19 (NLT)19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
Past Mistakes
The past can be a hindrance to the present and a roadblock to the future. Receive forgiveness and grace and allow God the freedom to transform your life.
Philippians 3:13-14 (NLT)13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Family
Family is one of the most important things in our life and one of our highest responsibilities on earth. Even so this can be harmful for the spiritual benefit of everyone, if we idolize this unit and don't keep Christ as the center of authority.
Matthew 12:48-50 (NLT)48 Jesus asked, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”49 Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers.50 Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!”
Luke 9:57-62 (NLT)57 As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.”58 But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”59 He said to another person, “Come, follow me.” The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”60 But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.”61 Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.”62 But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”
Whenever the word Idol is mentioned, we automatically think of an image or other material object representing a deity to which religious worship is addressed. While some do worship an image or other material objects today the more prevalent idols for us fall into the category of fallacies and fantasies. These are idols that we often begin to worship unknowingly or things we believe we can control, and before we know it we have fallen into full blown idolatry. They are insidious so be careful and guard your heart.
Proverbs 4:23 (NLT) Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
20 Disastrous Idol To Avoid
The human heart by its very design is prone to worship, God designed it that way for His glory. But sometimes we fill that vacuum with the wrong things and remove God from first place in our life...resulting in unhealthy attachments, which become idols.
Personal Success
Personal success and gain can keep us from fully entering the Kingdom of God. This was true in the case of the young rich man, when he sadly refused Jesus' offer to follow Him.
Matthew 19:16-22 (NLT)16 Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”17 “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.”18 “Which ones?” the man asked. And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely.19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’”20 “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?”21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”22 But when the young man heard this, he went away very sad, for he had many possessions.
People Pleasing
The story of Mary and Martha teaches us that, serving others is a great thing, but not if it gets in the way of us sitting quietly at the feet of Jesus.
Luke 10:38-42 (NLT)38 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed them into her home.39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught.40 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details!42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Religious Figures
Give honor where honor is due but be mindful not to give your pastor or other religious figures more honor than you give the Lord.
Romans 13:7 (ASV)7 Render to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.
Mark 12:29-30 (NLT)29 Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD.30 And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.
Comfort
Convenience can keep us from being generous at a time when the Lord asks us to give. Let us always be quick to follow His lead, even if He asks us to sacrifice our comfort.
Philippians 4:19 (NLT)19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
Past Mistakes
The past can be a hindrance to the present and a roadblock to the future. Receive forgiveness and grace and allow God the freedom to transform your life.
Philippians 3:13-14 (NLT)13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Family
Family is one of the most important things in our life and one of our highest responsibilities on earth. Even so this can be harmful for the spiritual benefit of everyone, if we idolize this unit and don't keep Christ as the center of authority.
Matthew 12:48-50 (NLT)48 Jesus asked, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”49 Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers.50 Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!”
Luke 9:57-62 (NLT)57 As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.”58 But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”59 He said to another person, “Come, follow me.” The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”60 But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.”61 Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.”62 But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”
Materialism
Wealth and material gain is empty and full of spiritual destruction-- if this is our main life priority. The Bible carefully reminds us instead, to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and He will add all these things to our lives.
1 Timothy 6:9-10 (NLT)9 But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
Power
The lust for power makes a terrible ruler and always destroys relationships and the blessing of God on our life. Power, when it becomes an idol is fueled by pride and is always followed by a fall to humble us.
Proverbs 29:23 (NLT)23 Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor.
Political Ideology
Around election time, our loyalty to our political party can potentially usurp our loyalty to the authoritative Word of God. We must always align our heart's allegiance to a King and Kingdom. That King is Jesus, and that Kingdom is the Kingdom of God.
Isaiah 40:8 (NLT)8 The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.”
Revelation 19:11, 16 (NLT)11 Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. 16 On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.
Church
Church is necessary to the life of a believer, but when it's your idol, it causes you to live a cosmetic Christian life. Cultivating the right heart before the Lord and being the church should be more important than showing up and going through the motions.
Psalm 51:16-17 (NLT)16 You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering.17 The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.
Isaiah 1:11-17 (NLT)11 “What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?” says the LORD. “I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle. I get no pleasure from the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.12 When you come to worship me, who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony?13 Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts; the incense of your offerings disgusts me! As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath and your special days for fasting— they are all sinful and false. I want no more of your pious meetings.14 I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals. They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them!15 When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look. Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims.16 Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways.17 Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.
Money
This idol, known as greed, opens the door for all kinds of evil because you'll do anything to gain more and it's impossible to satisfy. It is much safer to trust in the Lord's provision.
1 Timothy 6:9-10 (NLT)9 But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
Celebrities
The glamour, the beauty and lush lifestyle of celebrities can cause us to revere them to the point where we try to model our lives after them. Worldly gain, without Christ leads to spiritual decay.
Hebrews 12:2 (NLT)2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.
1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1 (NLT)31 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.32 Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God.33 I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved.1 And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ. (emphasis mine)
Pleasure
Chasing pleasure can lead us down the wrong path and cause us to hurt the ones we love most.
Matthew 16:26 (NLT)26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?
ExperienceDon't give your life experiences more power and authority than the will and Word of God. Our understanding when submitted to God becomes wisdom to help us navigate life.
1 Corinthians 1:25 (NLT)25 This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.
Psalm 119:105 (NLT) Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.
Knowledge
Education and information are tools, not masters. Let the Holy Spirit sanctify this area of your life with God's truth.
Galatians 5:22-25 (NLT)22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
Spiritual Gifts
The Bible tells us to earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but if we do this without the love of God in our hearts, spiritual gifts become dead works. Idolizing spiritual gifts can create terrible damage in the church. Prioritize God's love and leading to guide you in the gifts.
1 Corinthians 12:31 - 13:3 (NLT)31 So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts. But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all. 1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing.3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.
Reputation
A good reputation is better to have than riches. Sometimes God may challenge us in this area for a higher purpose. Here is where we see if we are idolizing the approval of man above God's approval.
Romans 12:3 (NLT)3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.
Galatians 1:10 (NLT) Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.
Angels
Angels are God's messengers and act on His behalf. Throughout the Bible angels are reverent of God. They would not have us to worship them but will always turn the glory back to the God.
Hebrews 1:7, 14 NIV speaking of the angels he says, “He makes his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire.” Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
Revelation 22:8-9 (NLT)8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw all these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me.9 But he said, “No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers the prophets, as well as all who obey what is written in this book. Worship only God!”
Drugs and Alcohol
Excessive drinking and use of legal as well as illegal drugs leads to making poor choices. Over time this idol will destroy the user's life and impact those closest to them. It is more beneficial to be sober and spiritually vigilant.
Ephesians 5:15-20 (NLT)15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Significant Other
God values relationships. However, idolizing a significant other cultivates codependency and makes you deeply vulnerable emotionally. A relationship that glorifies God is one that puts Him first and allows Him to reign.
Proverbs 3:6 (TLB) In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.
Mark 10:7-9 (NLT)7 ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife,8 and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one,9 let no one split apart what God has joined together.”
Remember guard your heart.
Proverbs 4:23 (NLT) Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
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