Idolatry is a recurring theme in Scripture. It goes much deeper and is far more pervasive than most people think.
Today, there are many ways to talk about idolatry. I mentioned Tim Keller’s helpful book (Counterfit gods) yesterday.
I also came across this concept from Jerry Bridges.
Jerry Bridges defines functional saviors in the following way:
Sometimes we look to other things to satisfy and fulfill us—to ‘save’ us. These ‘functional saviors’ can be any object of dependence we embrace that isn’t God. They become the source of our identity, security, and significance because we hold an idolatrous affection for them in our hearts. They preoccupy our minds and consume our time and resources. They make us feel good and somehow even make us feel righteous. Whether we realize it or not, they control us, and we worship them.