Are Hidden 'Idols' Affecting Your Finances?
Most of us know we should budget, save, or spend with intention—but what if the real battle isn’t in our bank account, but in our hearts? In this powerful episode of Ask Ralph , we move beyond surface-level financial advice and get honest about what’s really driving our money decisions. Ralph unpacks the idea of “financial idols”—those sneaky sources of security, status, or self-worth that can quietly take God's place in our financial lives. If you've ever felt anxious about money, even when things are fine, or found yourself comparing your financial standing to others, this conversation might reveal the hidden idols affecting your choices.
Check out the full podcast episode here
Through Scripture, reflection, and prayerful self-examination, Ralph guides listeners to ask tough but freeing questions: Where do I find my security? What am I sacrificing for money? Do I trust my savings more than I trust God? By naming and confessing these idols, we take a crucial step toward both spiritual and financial freedom. You’ll leave this episode not with guilt, but with clarity, peace, and a renewed desire to honor God in your financial journey.
Chapters:
- 00:15 - Understanding Financial Idols
- 02:22 - Hidden Financial Idols
- 03:47 - Identifying Our Idols
- 05:47 - Identifying Idols in Our Lives
- 07:37 - Identifying Financial Idols
- 09:31 - Reflecting on Financial Faith
Takeaways:
- Understanding your motivations for financial decisions can reveal hidden idols in your life.
- Fear and status can drive our financial behaviors more than we realize, so watch out!
- Breaking the cycle of financial shame starts with honest self-examination and prayer.
- Confession is a key step towards freedom from financial idols that might control us.
- Identifying where money holds too much power is crucial for aligning our hearts with God.
- Taking time to reflect on our financial habits can lead to healthier choices in our lives.
WATCH NOW ON YOUTUBE (OUR VIDEO VERSION)
WATCH NOW ON RUMBLE (OUR VIDEO VERSION)
VISIT OUR ASK RALPH SHOW GEAR STORE FOR ALL KINDS OF COOL MERCHANDISE - ENTER THE CODE "FREEBOOK" FOR A FREE DOWNLOADABLE COPY OF MY BOOK "MASTERING YOUR FINANCES"
JOIN OUR FACEBOOK INSIDERS GROUP
JOIN RALPH LIVE - EVERY TUESDAY AT 1PM EST
Please share our Podcast with all your friends and family!
Submit your questions or ideas for future shows - email us at
ralph@askralph.com or leave a voicemail message on our podcast page
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/askralphmedia Twitter (@askralphmedia) or visit www.askralphpodcast.com for more information.
To schedule a consultation with Ralph's team, contact him at 302-659-6560 or go to www.askralph.com for more information!
Buy Ralph's Book - Mastering Your Finances ! on Amazon
Buy Ralph's Book - Gospel of Entrepreneurship: Following Jesus in Your Business Journey on Amazon
Want to be a guest on Ask Ralph: Financially Confident Christian? Send Ralph Estep, Jr. a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1704313698808231d175d3ba6
Thank you for listening to the Ask Ralph podcast. We encourage you to follow us on our social media pages and rate our show. For more information about the topics discussed on the podcast visit Saggio Accounting+PLUS.
00:00 - Untitled
00:57 - Untitled
01:12 - Understanding Financial Idols
03:19 - Hidden Financial Idols
04:44 - Identifying Our Idols
06:44 - Identifying Idols in Our Lives
08:35 - Identifying Financial Idols
10:28 - Reflecting on Financial Faith
Speaker:
Hey, we know our why for making financial changes, but what if other hidden
Speaker:
motivations are actually driving the bus?
Speaker:
Things like fear or status, or the security found in money instead of God.
Speaker:
Well, today we're gonna tackle the tough but vital topic on financial idols.
Speaker:
Hey there.
Speaker:
Welcome back to Your Daily Ask Ralph.
Speaker:
I'm Ralph.
Speaker:
Thanks for joining me for this deeper chat as we near the end of
Speaker:
another week of action in the joy of Living below your mean series.
Speaker:
Still in pursuit of breaking that cycle of financial shame
Speaker:
and doing it with confidence.
Speaker:
Now, yesterday we connected with our Why Today we look even closer at our hearts.
Speaker:
So you've set goals, you've found your why, and now you're taking action.
Speaker:
But maybe you still find yourself wrestling with certain financial
Speaker:
behaviors, perhaps overwhelming anxiety about money persists, even when things
Speaker:
are okay or, or maybe you feel an intense pressure to keep up appearances.
Speaker:
You're buying things that you just can't afford to project a certain image.
Speaker:
Maybe you find that your sense of worth or your sense of security is
Speaker:
tied tightly to your bank balance, or maybe tied to your possessions.
Speaker:
Listen, I've certainly been there a time or two.
Speaker:
You might even find yourself compromising your values for financial gain.
Speaker:
Well, that internal struggle, where despite good intentions, your financial
Speaker:
decisions seem driven by fear and driven by greed, or driven by pride or even
Speaker:
finding security in money itself rather than God, that's often rooted in the
Speaker:
difficult issue of hidden financial idols.
Speaker:
These are things that have subtly taken God's rightful place in our
Speaker:
hearts when it comes to money.
Speaker:
But here's the thing.
Speaker:
Jesus was crystal clear.
Speaker:
Look at the book of Matthew chapter six, verse 24.
Speaker:
It's what he said.
Speaker:
He said, no one can serve two masters.
Speaker:
You cannot serve both God and money, or what they called mammon.
Speaker:
This is often misquoted, but do we really understand just what Jesus was saying?
Speaker:
Do we understand what he meant by that?
Speaker:
And see, an idol isn't just a statue.
Speaker:
A lot of people think an idol is some statue.
Speaker:
It's really anything we put our ultimate trust in.
Speaker:
Or something we find our core identity in or sacrifice excessively for, and we
Speaker:
choose to do that other than God himself.
Speaker:
It could be money, security status, maybe our possessions and these can
Speaker:
easily become idols in our culture today.
Speaker:
Look at the book of one Timothy, chapter six, verse 10
Speaker:
warns that the love of money.
Speaker:
Now listen, it doesn't say money itself.
Speaker:
It says the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.
Speaker:
And in the book of Colossians, chapter three, verse five, even
Speaker:
calls greed or covetousness idolatry.
Speaker:
And see, identifying these hidden idols is crucial.
Speaker:
It's crucial because they secretly direct their choices and they sabotage
Speaker:
both our financial wellbeing and more importantly, our relationship with God.
Speaker:
So what can we do?
Speaker:
How do we uncover and begin to deal with these powerful
Speaker:
but yet often hidden drivers?
Speaker:
How do we ensure that God, not money or possessions, is truly
Speaker:
enthroned in our financial lives?
Speaker:
Well, my view, the single essential solution is to engage in courageous
Speaker:
prayerful self- examination to identify potential financial items in your life.
Speaker:
And listen, this isn't about feeling condemned, but it's
Speaker:
really about seeking freedom.
Speaker:
It involves asking hard questions with humility questions like, where does
Speaker:
my true sense of security come from?
Speaker:
Does it come from my job?
Speaker:
Does it come from my savings or does it come from God's provision?
Speaker:
Maybe you're asking this question, what do I worry about most when it comes to money?
Speaker:
See, truth is, fear can indicate an idol of security.
Speaker:
What possessions or financial status do I need to do?
Speaker:
I need to be happy or to feel respected?
Speaker:
See, this too can reveal idols of status or materialism.
Speaker:
Do I constantly compare my financial situation to others?
Speaker:
That's a tough one.
Speaker:
This may indicate envy or idol of comparison.
Speaker:
Am I willing to compromise my integrity?
Speaker:
Am I willing to compromise my faith?
Speaker:
Or am I willing to compromise my family time for money?
Speaker:
See, 'cause that shows what we truly worship.
Speaker:
Acknowledging even one area where money or things have taken too high a priority.
Speaker:
Well, that's the first step to dethroning that idol.
Speaker:
The solution is honest self-reflection.
Speaker:
You gotta identify potential idols.
Speaker:
I. Well, this is a deep heart work today.
Speaker:
Sure.
Speaker:
One action step for today or perhaps more realistically, find some dedicated time,
Speaker:
some quiet time, this upcoming weekend.
Speaker:
You know, memorial day's not far away for those in the us and
Speaker:
here's what I want you to do.
Speaker:
First step, I want you to find some quiet time and start with prayer.
Speaker:
Just set aside 15 or 20 minutes where you can be alone and just
Speaker:
pray for the Holy Spirit to give you honesty and to give you courage.
Speaker:
Then I want you to ask some really hard and difficult questions,
Speaker:
prayerfully consider some of the questions I just mentioned or maybe
Speaker:
others that come to your mind.
Speaker:
One of the things you might consider is maybe journal your
Speaker:
unfiltered thoughts and feelings.
Speaker:
Ask yourself, where does money hold too much power in your thoughts or in
Speaker:
your emotions, or in your decisions?
Speaker:
The third thing I want you to do is identify just one area.
Speaker:
Just just one area.
Speaker:
You know, humbly try to pinpoint one specific thing.
Speaker:
Is it that security?
Speaker:
Is it that status?
Speaker:
Is it a particular possession?
Speaker:
Is it comparison or, or fear of lack?
Speaker:
One that might be functioning as a financial idol in your life right now.
Speaker:
And then finally, the fourth step.
Speaker:
This is the most important step.
Speaker:
You gotta acknowledge it and confess it.
Speaker:
Simply acknowledge it honestly before God.
Speaker:
Because here's the truth, confession is the first step towards freedom.
Speaker:
Maybe say something like this, Lord, I see that I find too much security
Speaker:
in my sayings account instead of you.
Speaker:
And now I hear you already asking, but, but Ralph, why?
Speaker:
Why do this difficult heart work?
Speaker:
Well, here's why.
Speaker:
'cause it gets to the root of many persistent financial struggles.
Speaker:
Identifying and confessing financial idols breaks their hidden power.
Speaker:
It, it just breaks it down.
Speaker:
It's a crucial step towards aligning your heart and your finances fully with God,
Speaker:
leading to deeper spiritual freedom and often making healthier financial choices.
Speaker:
So much easier to make.
Speaker:
Well, let's pray together.
Speaker:
Father God, search me, oh God, and know my heart.
Speaker:
Try me and know my thoughts and see if there'll be any grievous way in me
Speaker:
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Speaker:
That's beautiful.
Speaker:
From Psalm 1 39 verses 23 to 24, beautiful words you gave us, Lord,
Speaker:
Lord give my friend listening immense courage and honesty as they examine
Speaker:
their heart regarding money today.
Speaker:
Holy Spirit, we ask that you would gently reveal any area where money
Speaker:
or possessions or security or status.
Speaker:
Has taken over your rightful place.
Speaker:
Grant the humility to see it and the grace to confess it.
Speaker:
Begin that work of dethroning these idols, Lord, and draw their heart
Speaker:
closer to you as their true source of identity, their truth, source
Speaker:
of security, and their true choice.
Speaker:
of joy.
Speaker:
Thank you for your loving kindness and forgiveness, and
Speaker:
we ask this in Jesus name.
Speaker:
Amen.
Speaker:
I know that was deep.
Speaker:
I know it.
Speaker:
But be gentle with yourself as you reflect on this, perhaps this
Speaker:
week and as we talked about, but be honest, be gentle, but honest.
Speaker:
Take an even one step to identifying Idol is a huge victory in faith and finances.
Speaker:
And remember this, God honors a humble heart.
Speaker:
Now we've covered some deep and challenging ground.
Speaker:
Be sure to join me back here tomorrow on Ask Ralph for our final action in
Speaker:
this part of our series where we ask, struggling on your financial journey,
Speaker:
how about progress over perfection?
Speaker:
Yeah, we're gonna get real practical tomorrow, and if this episode
Speaker:
prompted important reflection for you, do me a huge favor and share it.
Speaker:
Share it with somebody else who might be struggling.
Speaker:
You can find resources and links in our show notes at our new website,
Speaker:
financially confident christian.com.
Speaker:
So until tomorrow, guard your heart.
Speaker:
Keep God first and keep seeking him.
Speaker:
Keep pushing in your quest to be a financially confident Christian.
Speaker:
Stay financially savvy, break free from those idols.
Speaker:
And God bless you and I just encourage you.
Speaker:
Have a truly blessed day today.
