"An idol is not simply a statue of wood, stone, or metal; it is anything we love and pursue in place of God, and can also be referred to as a 'false god' or a 'functional god.' In biblical terms, an idol is something other than God that we set our hearts on (Luke 12:29; 1 Corinthians 10:6), that motivates us (1 Corinthians 4:5), that masters or rules us (Psalm 119:133), or that we serve (Matthew 6:24)." -Ken Sande

"An idol is something within creation that is inflated to function as God. All sorts of things are potential idols, depending only on our attitudes and actions toward them... Idolatry may not involve explicit denials of God’s existence or character. It may well come in the form of an over-attachment to something that is, in itself, perfectly good... An idol can be a physical object, a property, a person, an activity, a role, an institution, a hope, an image, an idea, a pleasure, a hero -- anything that can substitute for God." -Richard Keyes

It was 7th grade and she was my first "real" girlfriend, so you can't blame me. But when Tiffany broke up with me, something snapped inside. We had been "dating" officially for a week, so when she slipped me the break-up note, I felt like my world was caving in.

And she had the guts to actually tell me the real reason why she broke up with me. I still remember vividly reading those words: "Mark, you need to get a clue about making fun of people." The gall of her to say that to me! You aren't supposed to break up with someone and tell them the truth; you are supposed to say something nice like, "It's not you, it's me."

So I did the only thing that seemed logical to me at the time. I wrote her a little note back to tell her what I thought. The note contained only line: "Tiffany, you need to get a clue about being so fat."
 
I didn't speak to Tiffany for over a year. Needless to say, I don’t cite this incident as my one shining moment.

Why would I lash out in anger like that? Was I just an offended little seventh grader? On a certain level, I am sure that is true. But the Bible never lets me stop there when I assess why I act the way I act. Christ hit the nail on the head when He said, "The mouth speaks from what fills the heart" (Matthew 12:34).

That note was revealing that I had developed an idolatrous attachment to Tiffany. Why did I flip out? Because at that moment, having Tiffany as my girlfriend ruled my world. And when the center of your universe is threatened, you tend to freak out. If you had asked, I would have told you that I was a Christian, that Jesus was the center of my life. But Jesus was simply my "professed" savior. The functional "god" of my life, what ruled my heart, was Tiffany.

That, by the way, is a crystal clear example of what the Bible calls "idolatry." We tend to think that the worship of idols is confined to animistic, pre-literature jungle tribes, but the Bible says that idolatry is actually the fundamental sin committed by all people everywhere. That's because an idol isn't just a statue of wood or stone; at root, an idol is anything that rules my life, dominates my emotions, and directs my will. In short, anything in the world can be an idol. Money, work, family, sex, achievement -- all of these can functionally rule my life and direct my behavior.

Tim goes to work and gets stuck at a traffic light and curses under his breath. At church on Sunday, Tim might sing worship songs professing his belief in God's control of all things, but at that moment in traffic, Tim functionally believes that he needs to control the universe, particularly the traffic system.

Rachel knows that the Bible forbids sex before marriage, but she cannot stand the thought of losing her boyfriend. She might profess that Christ is her master, but really, she is functionally controlled by the idol of a relationship.

Mike works a high-pressure job and gets home each night to screaming kids and a frazzled wife, so he relaxes by watching pornography from time to time as a release. He professes to believe that God is a comfort and help in times of trouble, but functionally, Mike runs to the idol of pleasure to ease the difficulties of life.

Are you in the grips of an idol? How can you know what rules your life? Let me give you three simple tests:

1. Sin: Where are the patterns of sin in your life? When do you sin? Why do you sin?

2. Inordinate emotions: What causes your emotions to go crazy? Why do you weep? Why do you scream? What makes you angry?

3. Sacrifice: Where do you spend your disposable income? What do you go into debt to buy? Where do you spend your time? What do you daydream about?

These tests will point you toward what your truly worship. The question we must all ask is very simple: Does the God that I profess to worship functionally rule my life?

Mark Vance is the Music & Ministries Pastor at Saylorville Baptist Church in Des Moines, Iowa.