13 "Little children, keep yourselves from idols”
1 John 5:21 (ESV)
Why do you think that the last sentence in John’s letter to the church was “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”? Why end with that? Most likely, because that is our root problem on any given day. We constantly run to things other than God to satisfy us. John Calvin went as far as to say, “Our hearts are idol-factories.”
Tim Keller describes idols as: “anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give.
“An idol is whatever you look at and say, in your heart of hearts, ‘If I have that, then I’ll feel my life has meaning, then I‘ll know I have value, then I’ll feel significant and secure.’”
The Bible says anything we seek after above a relationship with God – money, the adoration and approval of others, success as an athlete – takes the place of God in our lives and becomes an idol.
It is not enough just to know that idols are bad. We need to identify the idols in our lives.
