Last Words to Heed

"Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen." - 1 John 5:21

The last words John writes in his first epistle are for us to keep ourselves from idols.  Why would those words be the last thing on his mind & heart as he closes his letter?

Probably because God knows how easy we fall into idol worship. In our culture it's not little statues we worship, but instead it is activities, programs, events, stuff & our own comforts, to mention a few, that become idols in our lives. We can't make time for prayer (private &/or corporate) but we can make time for our favorite TV show or sports game. We can't make time for extra fellowship activities but we can make time for extracurricular activities. We can't make time for our family because we are too busy working to gain stuff. We can't make time for service because our own comforts of time cry out to us.

What's an idol? Anything that easily takes you away from more important things of the Lord or puts itself in place of God.  If you can't stop something (or don't want to), it perhaps is an idol.

Keep yourselves from idols - be it your kids' events that keep them from church functions, be it your work, or your activities.  This world is not our home!