💭 What Are You Idolizing? A Personal Reflection from the Book of Jeremiah

I’ve been reading through the book of Jeremiah, and whew… it has me feeling some type of way.

You know, I love reading the Bible because it’s full of insight—about character development, government, God, Jesus, and even about the reality we live in. As someone who once spent time in the more esoteric world, I’ve come to learn a lot about idol worship, both from experience and the Word. And today, while reading Jeremiah, I found myself… honestly, a little annoyed.

Because the truth is—chapter after chapter—it’s like:

“All we do is worship idols.”

Constantly looking to something or someone else instead of God.

And even now, I know there are still things in my life that I idolize.

The desires of my heart have been shifting lately. I’m trying to be more awake, more aware, more conscious of what is getting the majority of my time. Because at the end of the day, the only thing we can give God is our time, our hearts, our minds, and our willingness to serve Him and others.

And I feel this pull in my spirit to talk about it:

👉🏽 Idolization.

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🕰️ So… What’s Getting All Your Time?

Over the weekend, while hiking with a friend, one of the idols that came up for me was business.

I’m not idolizing being busy like I used to, but that doesn’t mean the idolization isn’t still there. I still give a lot of time, effort, and energy to things that may not even be worth pouring into anymore. Sometimes, it’s just a distraction that looks good on the outside—but in truth, it’s pulling me away from God’s best.

And I just wanted to remind us today to take a real moment and ask:

“Where am I idolizing something in my life?”

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🛑 Even Good Things Can Become Idols

You know what’s funny? Even family can be an idol.

Ministry can be an idol. Success. Social media. Control.

There’s supposed to be balance in our lives, and while the scale will always teeter a little, we still have to check it.

We were created to live for the will of the Lord—

to serve, to love, to grow, to make mistakes and learn, to be passionate, to be giving, to be transformed.

But when something begins to take God’s seat in your life, even subtly—that’s when we need to pause and recenter.

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📖 Scripture Reminders

> “Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols.”

— Jeremiah 2:11

> “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can understand it?”

— Jeremiah 17:9

> “Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am the Lord your God.”

— Leviticus 19:4

> “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.”

— 1 John 5:21

🔍 Practical & Biblical Examples of Today’s Idols

Let’s call some of these out—not from judgment, but from awareness:

🏃🏽‍♀️ Busyness – Always doing, never resting. Finding identity in output.

💼 Work / Business – When success becomes your source instead of God.

📱 Social Media & Image – Constantly posting, checking, comparing.

❤️ Relationships – Placing someone on a pedestal meant only for God.

🛋️ Comfort & Control – Avoiding obedience because risk feels scary.

🍿 Entertainment – Hours in front of a screen, but no time in the Word.

💰 Money & Security – Trusting the bank more than the Provider.

🙏🏽 Ministry / Service – Doing God’s work but neglecting God's presence.

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✨ So… What Now?

This isn’t about shame—it’s about freedom.

God brings this to our attention because He wants to be close, not crowded out.

Take time this week to ask yourself:

What do I think about the most?

Where does my time go?

What do I feel like I can’t function without?

What’s hard for me to let go of—even if God asked me to?

Then sit with this question:

“Is this thing leading me to God—or away from Him?”

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🙌🏽 Returning to the Heart of Worship

God doesn’t want just your service—He wants you.

And when we let go of idols, even the ones that are hard to see or admit, we make room for something better:

> “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

— Jeremiah 29:12–13

🎁 Final Thought

The more we release, the more we receive.

Take the time. Ask the hard questions.

Lay the idols down, one by one.

Because what God has for you—your peace, your purpose, your inheritance—starts on the other side of surrender.