Confronting Empty Promises

This is the best, most clearly stated, definition of idolatry I have read.

"What is an idol? Traditionally we define is as anything that is more important to us than God. But I find that people shrug that definition off too readily. It's easy to fool ourselves into thinking that nothing is more important to us than God.

So let's define it as this: idolatry is when I look to something that does not have God's power to give me what only God has the power and authority to give.

It's when we take good things like a successful career, love material possessions, even family, and turn to them in the hope that they'll provide what only God can provide.

It's when we buy into the empty promise that such things can give us the significance, security, safety and security we crave.

It's when we feel a God-given appetite and try to fill it with something that isn't God."

- Pete Wilson, Empty Promises: The Truth About You, Your Desires, and the Lies You're Believing, page

(This is a VERY GOOD book, BTW)