The challenge with modern day idols is they often arise from really good things, even necessary things. These are needs and pleasures our loving heavenly Father longs to provide. The problem comes when we attempt to fill our needs, be it for significance or security, in our own strength, apart from God. Because our efforts will always be insufficient, our hearts will remain empty, which means we’ll continue grasping.

This is precisely how the idol of security rises up. We know inherently, everything we rely on apart from Christ is shaky at best. Careers end, relationships fail, stock markets crash, and unexpected medical bills can wipe out, in a moment, every insufficient foundation we’ve amassed beneath us.