Keep yourself from idols

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. - 1 John 5v21

This seems like a strange way to end a book that has had so much to do with love doesn’t it. From the first time I read 1 John this has always seems kind of tacked on at the end.

But then, when you think about it, aren’t idols basically anything that demands our adoration? If we are adoring idols we cannot give God or each other our love. Idols come first, and anything else gets pushed into the background. Idols take our time from love.

All kinds of things can become idols if we let them. Money, pastimes, jobs, sports, possessions, and any other kinds of stuff can become idols. If we idolise those things, what are we going to do when a brother or sister needs us? What happens when we idolise a television programme so much that we get irritated when someone interrupts us? What happens when we idolise our money so much that we can’t use it to meet needs?