When you think of the way an addict behaves toward their addiction, certain words come to mind such as reverence, obsession, slavery and servitude. Addict’s live for their addiction, to the detriment of their own well-being. When you revisit the biblical concept of worshipping false idols, you will be able to draw many comparisons between addiction and false idol worship. When the Israelites bowed down before golden statues, they were turning their eyes from the god they served to worship a false, empty god – one that would offer no provision or relationship.

Addiction and false idols are similar in that they both demand to be served. Addiction has a heavy sway over the addict that bows down to it. It commands their time, energy, money and devotion with no regard for the things the person used to value, such as personal relationships,worh ethic and health. Similarly, a false idol is not any kind of real god, but rather a pretend god that offers the servant nothing of value in return for their servitude. Those who choose to follow a pretend god will have no reward for their efforts.

An addict behaves in a worshipful way toward their addiction. Their top priority on any given day is to ensure that their addiction is protected and accessible. The organize their schedule around it. They reallocate funds toward it. They save up their energy for it. They may even tell others how great it is, and why it is the best thing in their lives. All of these behaviors are condusive with worship. A false idol, of course, serves the same purpose. People fuss over a false idol in order to appease it in a mislead belief that the false idol will bless them and favor them. Their efforts are, of course, fruitless because a false idol is not worthy of worship.