Are You Worshipping An Idol? Never! Well … maybe

What is a modern-day idol? And if I asked you whether you worship an idol, you’d probably answer, “Absolutely not!” I know I would have. After all, I don’t bow down to statues, burn incense, or pray to carved images.

The reality of worshiping idols became more real when Wendy and I visited Rome. Everywhere we looked were enormous statues of gods and emperors and huge buildings with marble columns that had stood for nearly two thousand years. What did these places look like when they were new?

They were among the grandest structures in the ancient world. Government leaders visited them; wealthy merchants funded them; the most successful and influential people in society worshiped there.

As I stood there taking it all in, I remember wondering, “How could intelligent people actually bow down and worship these gods?”

Reading through the book of Kings, I read again today:

“The places where gods were worshiped were not removed, so the people still sacrificed and burned incense there.” (2 Kings 14:4, NCV)

That verse appears repeatedly throughout Kings. Good kings would remove some idols, restore worship, and try to follow God. Yet the writer keeps repeating the same disappointing phrase: “The high places were not removed.” If these kings loved God, why wouldn’t they tear them down? If you and I love God, why would we worship an idol? So hold on—keep reading.

The answer begins with understanding what those “high places” really were. The Hebrew word is bamot, meaning “high places.” These worship centers were usually built on hills, mountain ridges, or elevated platforms because people believed the higher they climbed, the closer they were to the gods.

In many ways, these weren’t simply temples. They were the churches, civic centers, entertainment venues, banks, business districts, and economic hubs of the ancient world—all rolled into one. Imagine seeing the impressive government buildings in Washington. Same feeling, except totally surrounded by wealth and impressiveness.

This is where people gathered for holidays, celebrated weddings and harvests, conducted business, formed political alliances, sought advice, settled disputes, and prayed for blessings on every area of life.

These temples employed priests, musicians, craftsmen, cooks, merchants, and laborers. They collected offerings, owned land, hosted festivals, and generated enormous wealth for entire regions.

Tearing one down wasn’t simply a religious decision. It meant disrupting traditions, politics, commerce, and even the local economy. Now it becomes much easier to understand why so many otherwise good kings left them standing. You and I leave a lot of things standing in our own lives.

So, consider what these gods promised. Baal supposedly controlled rain, storms, fertile fields, healthy livestock, and abundant harvests. Asherah promised fertility, children, motherhood, abundance, and prosperity.

Other gods claimed they could provide military victories, protection from disease, financial success, and national security. The people weren’t thinking, “I want to worship a block of wood.” They were thinking, “I want rain. I want healthy children. I want my crops to grow. I want my business to succeed. I want protection. I want prosperity.” Honestly, we do the same thing today.

Today, we don’t bow before statues of Baal, but we still chase the very same promises. We quietly believe that another million dollars will make us secure, a promotion will make us significant, perfect health will make us happy, or successful children will make us feel complete.

The object has changed, but the promise hasn’t. We still look to created things to give us what only the Creator can provide.

Tim Keller, in his course Idols of the Heart, wrote that an idol is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, or anything you seek to give you what only God can give. He also described four “root idols” that often lie beneath all the others.

For some of us, it’s the idol of power. We believe that if we have enough influence, success, authority, or recognition, then we’ll finally matter.

For others, it’s the idol of approval. We crave acceptance, admiration, and affirmation from people so deeply that their opinion begins to matter more than God’s.

Others live for the idol of comfort. We simply want life to be easy, pleasurable, safe, and free from pain. We organize our lives around convenience instead of obedience.

And many of us struggle with the idol of control. We believe that if we can just manage our finances, our health, our children, our future, or every unexpected circumstance, then we’ll finally have peace.

As I read Keller’s words, I realized those four idols explain much of the human heart. Money is often about control. Success is often about power or approval. Work can become our identity. Pleasure becomes our pursuit of comfort. Family can become our security. None of those things are evil. They’re wonderful gifts from God. The danger comes when we ask those gifts to do what only God can do.

That’s exactly how Satan works. He rarely tempts us with something obviously evil. Instead, he takes good gifts from God and slowly convinces us they can become gods.

A career becomes our identity. Wealth becomes our security. Family becomes ultimate. Health becomes an obsession. Ministry becomes our source of significance. We don’t usually reject God outright; we simply replace Him quietly.

The Apostle John understood this when he wrote: “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” (1 John 5:21, NCV) Why? Because Christ should be Lord and Savior—not an idol.

And remember this: John was writing to Christians. Christians can have idols too.

It’s one thing to say we believe in Christ while chasing other things. It’s another thing to live as if Jesus is Lord. We love the saving part, but submitting, for our own good, to God, to Christ, to the Holy Spirit, and to love others as ourselves—this is what God’s Kingdom is all about. This is why Christ said:

“But seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well.” (Matthew 6:33, NCV)

So let me ask the question again. Are you worshiping an idol? Before you answer, really ask yourself, “Is Christ really Lord and Savior of my life?”—in all areas.

Are you and I expecting other things to give us what only God can give? Whatever we trust most for our identity, security, peace, significance, hope, or joy will eventually become the object of our worship.

The names of the idols have changed. The temples look different. The promises sound more sophisticated. But the human heart hasn’t changed. What’s your idol? Food, addiction, a relationship, your appearance—the list is quite long.

GOD, please help me shake any idol in my life. Honestly and humbly, I only want Christ to be Lord and Savior. Help me to believe it, live it, and only depend on Him for security and significance. IJNIP, amen. ♥️