When Does It Become An Idol?

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If you follow Jesus, then it’s really clear and important to make sure to avoid making idols of the things around us. And if you’re familiar with the Old Testament, you might think of idols as statues and symbols that were made into animals and objects to worship – but the truth is, idols are anything that take the place of God as our heart’s focus and attention.

So how do you know when an activity, person, or belief has become an idol?

In Matthew 6:24, Jesus says, "No one can serve two masters, either you will hate the one and love the other or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."

What has master over your life right now? What is your motivating focus each day?

Evaluating your time, desires, and priorities is where to start. Begin with looking at the amount of time you’re dedicating to your daily, weekly, or annual rhythm. This might not entirely paint the picture because we know there’s going to be large chunks of time given to certain things like work, which you may or may not have much control over.

A second question might be what is the driving desire or motivation behind the time you’re spending. For example, work can easily become an idol if we commit most of our time and effort alongside an unhealthy desire to earn more money, find achievement, or recognition.

It’s a good thing to enjoy and be motivated to work, however it becomes an idol when that starts to become our identity and drive our worth, or crowd out other priorities around us like our family or friends.

What about priorities and emotions that come along with an activity or person. To relate back to the topic of fitness, are you rearranging your schedule and prioritizing getting to the gym over other relationships and appointments? If you miss a couple days, do you feel discouraged and angry at yourself? Are you only finding fulfillment and affirmation when you’re looking at your progress or lack thereof in the mirror?

On the flipside, are unhealthy habits like eating processed, fast food, and sugar becoming a self-comfort to other emotions and issues in your life?

It’s easy to avoid dealing with the hard things and self-medicate with food, sports, or TV.

At Men of Iron, we believe God wants you to have a healthy balance and spiritual growth in your family, friends, fitness, and finances, all built on a foundation of your faith. We call it your CORE5.

Another way to tell if you’re being mastered by something in your fitness is to see if there’s a lack of priority or health in your faith, family, friends, or finances, as a result of your drive for your fitness.

Have a candid and honest conversation with GOD, yourself, and perhaps someone who knows you best like your spouse, mentor, or best friend about how you’re managing your temple. If you are finding your identity, truth, comfort and driving motivation in anything other than Jesus, you’re probably allowing it to master over you and become an idol.

Remember, you can only serve one master – and if you’re following Jesus, there’s only room for Him in that role.

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