The tricky thing about idolatry is that it is usually the pursuit of something that is otherwise good…Idolatry is enslavement to something we love…it’s a good thing that is elevated to a god thing.

So how can we figure out what our idols are?

Define for yourself your “little hell.” For you, hell is being poor; for you it’s being ugly; for you it’s being fat; for you it’s being unloved; for you it’s being under-appreciated; the fear of your hell compels you to choose for yourself a false savior god to save you from that hell…For those whose hell is being unmarried, your savior will be a spouse. For those whose hell is loneliness, you will choose for yourself a friend or group of friends or a pet–you will do anything for them because they are your functioning saviors from your hell of loneliness.

from a sermon “Resisting Idolatry Like Jesus” as quoted in Gospel Coach.