Beware of Undercover Idol Worship

Daily Devotional – Saturday, May 8, 2021

Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

1 John 5:21 (ESV)

The Apostle John concluded his first letter with a warning: “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”(1 John 5:21). If his readers would forget the rest of the letter, they would at least remember this caution.

Many Gentile had converted to Christianity in the first Century. They were taught to worship the One true God and not the false gods they had been brought up to revere. John warned them to watch out lest they be enticed back to idol worship.

The first two commandment of the Decalogue (Exodus 20:3-6) warn against worshipping anything other than God, and creating images (idols).

John, however, was also communicating a deeper message. An idol is not just a carved image that is regarded as deity. Any person, object or idea that takes the place of God in our lives is an idol.

John’s warning, therefore, is relevant to modern Christians who may not necessarily have physical, visible and touchable idols.

If we allow our friends, spouses, children, parents, teachers, religious leaders and other people to be more important than God to us, they become our idols.

If we love sports, music, movies, video games, theatrical performances and other forms of entertainment more than God, they are our idols.

If we value money, jobs and businesses above God, we are idol worshippers. If we hold political beliefs that are contrary to Christianity, we are worshipping idols.

Anything that can be defined as sin is an idol because it separates us from God.

Is there an idol in your life than you need to repent of and turn away from?

Father, help me to reject any person, object or idea that comes between me and You.