Idolatry And How It Subtly Creeps In

You know that feeling when a movie just sticks with you? That was me with KPop Demon Hunters. I honestly almost didn't watch it, thinking it was just another pop flick. My inner movie geek thought I could already predict the ending—after all, I’ve been watching American movies since high school, and the plots are basically stored in my head like databases. 🤣 And yeah, I found the love interest a bit cringe-y for my personal taste (no offense! 🤣). But after finally finishing it over three days, I’m so glad I did. It was way more than I expected. The theme was deep, the songs were awesome, and the animation was so beautifully done.

As an animator, I was particularly drawn to how it seamlessly blended a Western animation style with modern Japanese aesthetics. In our industry, people often say it’s nearly impossible to jump from Western to Japanese animation (and vice versa), but this movie felt like it completely nailed both.

That’s when it hit me — this thought-provoking theme was already something I had wrestled with in my journals. In fact, my very first entry was about this: idolatry. It felt like a confirmation when I later discovered a Christian had written the song that gripped me the most. Even more, I found out that both the voice and singing voice actors for Rumi were Christians. It reminded me that even in the space of pop culture, God plants people to shine His light and reveal deeper truths.

The lyrics that resonated so deeply were:

Don't you know I'm here to save you?

Now we runnin' wild

Yeah, I'm all you need,

I'mma be your idol

Be your idol

Living in your mind now

Too late, 'cause you're mine now

I will make you free (I will make you free)

When you're all a part of me

That song’s message is at the core of what idolatry really is. And interestingly, even the top three (3) definitions from Urban Dictionary reflect this reality:

• a person who inspires you so greatly they seem godlike

• someone who inspires you to be your “best self”

• in East Asian pop culture, a celebrity in a Kpop group

Out of thirty-three (33) pages of definitions, these stood out. Showing how easily people we admire can quietly become idols.

An idol can be a person — an artist, a musician, a friend, a counselor, a mentor, a pastor, a political leader, or even a family member. We start by admiring their talents, wisdom, or character, but the danger is how subtly we can elevate them to a place they were never meant to hold. We begin to anchor our identity to them, seeking their approval or relying on their counsel as the final word. When one person becomes our sole source of truth, we put them on a pedestal and set ourselves up for disappointment. No human was ever designed to carry the weight of being a personal god. That’s why I believe it’s healthier to have many mentors instead of just one. Relying on a single voice alone can create a direct path to idolatry. Seeking wisdom from multiple voices keeps us broad in perspective and anchored not in a person, but in the ultimate Giver of wisdom.

We cannot solely put the blame on the one idolizing. The person being idolized also carries responsibility. It’s both a grave and humbling task — to intentionally redirect hearts back to God instead of ourselves, to resist the temptation to exploit influence, and to lovingly correct idolatrous behavior when it surfaces.

But idols aren’t only people. They can be things we hold or strive for. A plaque, a framed certificate, a position at work, a trophy, the affirmation we crave for — even a religious statue. Anything we cling to for identity can quietly morph into an idol. Money too — whether it’s the greens we earn from hard work, easy work, or even the taxpayers’ work. 😉

And it goes deeper still. Idols can also be intangible: talents, ideas, skills, fame, success, even spiritual gifts. It shows up in subtle ways, like steering conversations back to your own abilities — magnifying the gift instead of the Giver. The enemy loves this, because it works quietly, pulling us off-course without making a sound.

A weak sense of identity is where the trouble begins—like a house built without a foundation. When we lack clarity about who we are in Christ or fail to set healthy boundaries, we surrender our self-worth to external forces. We become people-pleasers, constantly striving for approval from others, whether through personal affirmation from the kids, teens, and adults in our life or through the addictive chase for likes on social media. This hunger for outside affirmation is a pit that can never be filled. It's the perfect breeding ground for idolatry, which doesn't announce itself with a crash but creeps in unnoticed, whispering false promises of security, value, or purpose. By the time we realize we've anchored our life to something other than God, the enemy already has a powerful hold. (I'll get deeper on this on the next blog. So stay tuned!)

Challenging Reflection:

Who, what, and where do you anchor your identity?