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

The very last words of the Apostle John in hi first epistle is an instruction to every believer, whether old or young, rich or poor, wise or foolish, male nor female, white or black…. This is God’s instruction for every man. We all are God’s children and it doesn’t matter whether we are leaders of churches, preacher of the word, and whatsoever category of leadership we may find ourselves. We are children. This doesn’t mean we do not come to maturity in the Lord as sons, but it doesn’t negate us being Children in the sight of God.

Refrain from Idols. Keep yourselves from idol. Do not let idols take hold of your lives. Do not let idols hold supreme in your life. This is an instruction that shows us about one weakness that can be operational in our lives. Idols relate to something, someone, a believe, culture or anything that reigns supreme in us that is and will limit us from serving God the way we ought and should. Refrain from such.

To many, their pastors have become the little idol they worship. They are as good as anytime they here their pastor speak, whether right or wrong, no time to process it. They just would believe that man than they would even try to believe the scripture. Every other thing is secondary to the decision of their pastor. Refrain from Idols.
To some, their belongings or properties have become their idols. Those things are so dear to their hearts than the word of God. They savour their properties, gadgets, achievements, and many other things much more than they savour the word of God. Refrain from Idol.

Every idol demands worship. And that’s the reason why we must keep ourselves from Idols. Every man is in preparation for the ultimate worship which is whether to worship the lamb of God, or to worship the beast. One main reason why we are warned against idols is that they prepare us for worship. All men will naturally respond to what they worship.

Jesus spoke about this when he said “No man can serve (worship) two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve (worship) God and mammon.” Matthew 6:24. That is one injunction that must be taken very seriously.

Only one thing can deliver us from Idols, and that’s found in the words of Jesus when He said, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” Mark 12:30.

Love for God with everything that makes us who we are. And truly, if you love the Father, you cannot love the world but if you love the world, you cannot love the Father. So, it’s time to decide who we love, not just with some parts of us, but with all of who we are. Love God, not idols.