--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One of the signs that an object is…" description: "\"“One of the signs that an object is functioning as an idol is that fear becomes one of the chief characteristics of life. When we center our lives on t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/timothy-j-keller-3733_fear_one-of-the-signs-that-an-object-is-funct_1015787.jpg" --- # One of the signs that an object is functioning as an idol… ![“One of the signs that an object is functioning as an idol is that fear becomes one of the chief characteristics of life. When we center our lives on the idol, we become dependent on it. If our counterfeit god is threatened in any way, our response is complete panic. We do not say, "What a shame…” quote by Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/timothy-j-keller-3733_fear_one-of-the-signs-that-an-object-is-funct_1015787.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/timothy-j-keller-3733_fear_one-of-the-signs-that-an-object-is-funct_1015787.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/timothy-j-keller-3733_fear_one-of-the-signs-that-an-object-is-funct_1015787.jpg) > ““One of the signs that an object is functioning as an idol is that fear becomes one of the chief characteristics of life. When we center our lives on the idol, we become dependent on it. If our counterfeit god is threatened in any way, our response is complete panic. We do not say, "What a shame, how difficult," but rather "This is the end! There's no hope!”” [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Idols create fear and panic when threatened because they become central to identity, leading to dependence and loss of hope if they fail. **In simple terms:** Idols cause fear and panic when challenged. Key Takeaway Cultivate resilience beyond any single belief. Themes faith idolatry fear dependence Mood cautionary thought‑provoking Type spiritual critical When to use this quote - personal crises - loss of status - cultural shifts - spiritual doubt Key Concepts theology psychology human behavior Questions to Reflect On - What idols dominate your life? - How can you build inner security independent of them? A Different Perspective Not all strong attachments are idols; some can be healthy anchors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Counterfeit God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/counterfeit-god-917000/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Functioning Idol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/functioning-idol-2234324/) [God Threatened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-threatened-1841975/) [Idol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idol/) [Idol Dependent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idol-dependent-2234323/) [Idol Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idol-fear-2234322/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [We think that idols are bad things, but that is almost never the case. The greater the good, the more likely we are to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/we-think-that-idols-are-bad-things-but-that-is-almost-never-the-case/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“It’s easier to love the idol than to love Him. The path is narrow, and few find it because they are afraid. We have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rj-blizzard/it-s-easier-to-love-the-idol-than-to-love-him-the-path-is-narrow-and/) [RJ Blizzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rj-blizzard/) > [“We make an idol of our fear and that idol we call God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingmar-bergman/we-make-an-idol-of-our-fear-and-that-idol-we-call-god/) [Ingmar Bergman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingmar-bergman/) > [“A sovereign, creative, truthful God is not threatened by our human attempts to describe and better to understand the nature and purposes of God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-willimon/a-sovereign-creative-truthful-god-is-not-threatened-by-our-human/) [William H. 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But I watched 'The Voice' a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-ora/i-don-t-know-how-x-factor-works-i-was-only-there-as-a-guest-judge-for/) [Rita Ora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-ora/) > [My dad has always been my idol.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hulk/my-dad-has-always-been-my-idol/) [Hulk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hulk/) > [Everybody out there watches the show and has expectations of wanting to be an 'Idol', but we're going to teach them how much hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-bice/everybody-out-there-watches-the-show-and-has-expectations-of-wanting/) [Bo Bice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-bice/) ## More by Timothy J. Keller > [“The choice is ours. If we want to be sure to experience this vision by sight hereafter, we must know it by faith now.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/the-choice-is-ours-if-we-want-to-be-sure-to-experience-this-vision-by/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“It is worth asking ourselves: Where am I saying “I can’t” but God is saying “You won’t”? Israel’s failure to obey was based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/it-is-worth-asking-ourselves-where-am-i-saying-i-can-t-but-god-is/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“The same sun that melts wax hardens clay.” In other words, what makes a life “good” is not a particular set of circumstances, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/the-same-sun-that-melts-wax-hardens-clay-in-other-words-what-makes-a/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“Tremendous freedom comes when we can laugh at ourselves and whisper to him, "So! It's been you all along!" In some ways that day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/tremendous-freedom-comes-when-we-can-laugh-at-ourselves-and-whisper/) [Timothy J. 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Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“It needs to be said that faith-journeys are never simply intellectual exercises.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/it-needs-to-be-said-that-faith-journeys-are-never-simply-intellectual/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“The only way to doubt Christianity rightly and fairly is to discern the alternate belief under each of your doubts and then to ask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/the-only-way-to-doubt-christianity-rightly-and-fairly-is-to-discern/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“Paul is not saying that I must have nothing to do with the people and things of the world. Ironically, if I must have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/paul-is-not-saying-that-i-must-have-nothing-to-do-with-the-people-and/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“Religion is not the place where the problem of man’s egotism is automatically solved. Rather, it is there that the ultimate battle between human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/religion-is-not-the-place-where-the-problem-of-man-s-egotism-is/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“Atheists and agnostics ask for this kind of “proof” for God, but are not alone in holding to strong rationalism. Many Christians claim that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/atheists-and-agnostics-ask-for-this-kind-of-proof-for-god-but-are-not/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“Without socially shared discovered meaning we have no basis for saying to somebody else: “You need to stop doing that!” Created meanings cannot be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/without-socially-shared-discovered-meaning-we-have-no-basis-for/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“Christianity does not agree with the optimistic thinkers who say, “We can fix things if we try hard enough.” Nor does it agree with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/christianity-does-not-agree-with-the-optimistic-thinkers-who-say-we/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“Everything we know in this world is “contingent,” has a cause outside of itself. 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