What is an Idol exactly?

Well, what is an idol? "Any thing on which we set our affections; that to which we indulge an excessive and sinful attachment." Yes, the last two words are sinful attachment. How can you possibly have a sinful attachment to something. Or better yet how is this sinful? Deuteronomy 5:8-10 tells us this, "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jelous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments." While I find many interesting points in these three verses lets stayed focused. It is sinful because God said you are to have no idols, because He is God, and jealous. Well this great I don't have an image to bow down and worship I am good, you may be thinking. What was the defination though, any thing we set our affections, indulge excessively. Hmm, well I must be honest, I am very quick to point out others idols. In fact it is very easy in a college town when bussinesses close on saturday for a football game, and re-open sunday. While many tell me I don't understand, its football. I think I do understand. What is my idol you might be thinking. I will tell you and in fact this was not clear to me until this afternoon. Mine takes the form of exercise, laugh if you will, but as I was running this afternoon feeling good I got my run. I started to begin to think, that when I don't get to I ping. I stress out, I tend to think about it more than God. It consumes my thoughts. Upon realizing that this has taken an unhealthy turn I have decided to quit. Ha ha ha no I didn't, I confessed I might have an idol, on my hands, okay I do have one. It went from something I enjoyed doing, and in fact loved because, I would talk with God while I was running. To something I needed to do, even had to do. Some how I switched gears, which was a very subtle slow switch. So what do I do? Confess, tell God, I am sorry. Start over, make sure my first love who is God remains in first. To all things in my life, to my husband and children, to all I do. Have you ever noticed sometimes the subtle hills are the hardest to go back up? With prayer, this too shall pass. My love will remain.