Business owner reflects on twenty-year struggle with professional idolatry

A business owner recently shared a personal testimony regarding his two-decade struggle with what he describes as the subtle idolatry of his professional life. While he maintained a consistent practice of prayer and generous giving, he explains that he gradually began to derive his identity from his business success rather than his faith. He notes that he convinced himself he was safe because he still held Jesus in high regard, but he eventually realized that he had placed his career alongside God in his heart.

Drawing on the biblical account of the Philistines placing the Ark of the Covenant next to their god Dagon in 1 Samuel 5, the author warns that God does not share the human heart. He describes how his business performance became a measure of his self-worth, with financial growth serving as proof of his own wisdom and favor. He concludes that this misplaced focus was a form of worship disguised as responsibility, and he encourages other professionals to examine whether their work has quietly become an idol that demands everything.