Idol Worship Today: 6 Modern Idols That We Worship

We tend to think of idolatry as a sin of the past or an eastern mysticism thing. We certainly don’t have idols in western culture, right? Actually, idolatry is surprisingly modern and very prevalent in our culture. Part of the reason we don’t think about idol worship today is because our definition of idolatry is off. We think idolatry is confined to bowing down to a golden statue or praying to a wooden trinket. And since we don’t do that we assume we don’t have idols.

But we do have idols today. Lots of them. They look different than the idols of the past, but we still practice idol worship today.

Before we look at what idols we worship we need to get a better definition of what an idol is.

What Is An Idol?

An idol is when something or someone becomes more important to us than God. Even good things can become idols when we make them ultimate things in our lives. Anything, or anyone, can become an idol if we place the value for that thing/person above our value for God.

In ancient times that would have looked like bowing down to worship a golden statue. In modern times it might look like getting our identity from our job or staring at our technology all day. Anything that becomes more important to us than God becomes an idol. And we all have them.

Ed Stetzer in an article called Idolatry Is Alive Today says: Is it that a 12-inch tall piece of wood or bronze can do something bad to us? Or is it that we do something awful to ourselves when we place adoration and attention that should go to God in other things? When it comes to idolatry, the danger is not in an item… it is in us. — Ed Stetzer

Tim Keller in his book Counterfeit Gods says an idol is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, and anything that you seek to give you what only God can give.

Idolatry is alive and well today. And we are all prone to have idols in our lives.

What Does The Bible Say About Idolatry?

I want to briefly look at what the Bible says about idolatry. To put it concisely, it doesn’t say anything positive. Idol worship is condemned in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Here’s a full list of what the Bible says about idols: Bible Verses About Idolatry

God sets the precedent for his people early on that his people shall have no Gods except him. The 10 Commandments lead off with a command against idolatry (Exodus 20:3). And in most subsequent books in the Old Testament echo this commandment.

The New Testament is also vocal about idolatry. Colossians 3:5 and Romans 1:22–23 remind us of the dangers of idolatry. Many times the New Testament warns of being seduced by the things of this world to the point where they become the most important thing in our life. Which is by definition idolatry.

We see time and time again in the Bible that we tend to drift away from God. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament are full of warnings against idolatry because we are so prone to wander. We must be diligent in examining our life for idols.

So, what are some idols we have today that might go unnoticed?

Idol Worship Today

Before you read this list hear me on this. I’m not saying we should rid ourselves of the things on this list. For many of the things, that would be impossible. Rather we need to evaluate our lives and make sure they are in the right order. That none of these things have become more important than God to us.

With that in mind, here’s 6 idols we still worship today.

1. Our Identity

It’s easy to place our identity is something or someone other than God. Whether it be our social media following, our position at work, our abilities/skills, or the achievements we are after. Many have their identity wrapped up in the wrong thing.

Not only is this an idol, it’s a tough way to live. If your identity is in your work, your skills, your looks, or anything else you will constantly feel like you don’t measure up. They are harsh masters. But when our identity is secured in God we can live in freedom. While we will still fall short God’s love will never fail us.

For some their identity has become an idol. They have placed more value on who they are rather than in God.

2. Money/Consumerism

It doesn’t matter if you have money or are broke. The pursuit of money and the acquisition of things is an idol for many in our culture. Many people trust their money more than they trust God.

Hear me on this. Money is not bad. Money is a tool. And like any tool, you have to use it in the correct way otherwise it can cause much damage. Money isn’t the problem it’s how we use it and view that can become a problem.

Many have placed their hopes and dreams in money. They trust it to provide for them, care for them, and protect them. The problem is it can’t live up to what we are trying to get from it.

Money has become an ultimate thing for many of us. If the motivating factor in your life is money and not God, then that’s an idol.

3. Entertainment

We are obsessed with being entertained. And it comes in many forms. From Netflix to vacations and video games to podcasts. We love entertainment in all forms.

Again, as with the other idols list, it’s not that entertainment is bad. It can be a good thing. But when our lives become all about the search for entertainment and chase of the best experiences we can find, then it’s become an idol. It’s become more important than God.

I would argue that entertainment is good and a gift from God, but we should worship the giver not the gift.

4. Sex

We are obsessed with sex in our culture, it is everywhere. It might be the only thing we think about more than money. We have taken a gift from God and made it into the god of our lives. And for many their lives are controlled by sex.

To even question the sexual ethic in our society will bring a slew of accusations. Showing how tied to our idol we actually are. Our sexual identity, sexual practices, and sex lives are sacred to us.

The church has some blame for this. Rather than portraying sex as a good gift from God, instead, they have in recent history heaped guilt and shame. Which you could argue is one of the factors that brought this over-exaggeration of sex. But regardless of how we got here, for many today sex is an idol, we value it more than we do God.

5. Comfort

There is an endless list of products promising to simplify and add comfort to your life. We have made our lives much easier and much more comfortable than any other time in history. Tasks that used to take all day can be done in minutes. Many menial tasks are now automated. While that’s a good thing, our pursuit in life should not be comfort alone.

Jesus tells a very different narrative for his followers. He says that his followers will face trials, persecution, and difficulty. While comfort isn’t bad, it can become damaging when it becomes the main pursuit in life. When comfort is an idol we will struggle when God calls us to something difficult.

6. Our Phones

Smartphone addition is increasingly becoming a worrying trend. This is especially true for Gen Z and Millennial generations, but it’s certainly not confined to them. For many, they simply cannot live without their phones (or online presence). This is quickly becoming an idol for many.

The problem isn’t our phones or social media or any form of technology. It’s the value we place on it that makes it a problem. When our lives revolve around how many likes we get, what our following looks like, or if we can’t sit in silence for 5 minutes without refreshing our newsfeed we might have an idol. Anything that takes the place of God in our life, anything that becomes more important than him is an idol.

How To Know If You Have An Idol

Again, let me reiterate. This isn’t a list of things to avoid. Or a list we should use to beat ourselves down or ammo to shoot at others. This is a list of things that can take the place of God in our lives. When a good thing becomes an ultimate thing ultimately it becomes a destructive thing in our lives.

What we should do with this list is use it to prayerfully evaluate our lives to make sure nothing has become more important to us than God.

So how do we know if something has become an idol? Here are 4 questions to ask yourself to help you identify idols in your life.

Where Do I Spend My Time?
Where Do I Spend My Money?
Where Do I Get My Joy?
What’s Always On My Mind?

Actually think about those questions. They will lead you to what either is an idol or what you might be tempted to make an idol.

Don’t let anything, even a good thing, take the place of God in your life.

I’d love to hear from YOU! Share your thoughts below!

Get Access To 3 Exclusive Articles (for FREE)

Want articles like this one delivered straight to your email? Sign up for Rethink Updates and you’ll also get access to 3 exclusive articles! Sign up here: Rethink Updates