1st Commandment: You shall have no other gods. What does this mean? We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.
1 John 5:21--Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
Devotion--It's often easier for someone on the outside to see the things that really seem to matter to us. We may think that some activity or "thing" isn't really all that important, and that we don't dedicate much time to it, but another person may be able to give us a better idea of just how much time and dedication that we really are giving to it.
That same thought can be applied toward the things that can potentially draw us away from God. We might look at them in our own lives and fail to see just how great their pull is upon us. But another person, standing outside of our shoes, may see where we are being drawn toward that thing and away from God. Their gentle words and caring attitude can often be the help that we need when we discover that some activity or thing is threatening to draw us away from God.
Likewise, we can serve in that same way for one another. It seems like that's the kind of thing that the elder John was encouraging God's people in their life together. They were not to turn a blind eye toward each other's idols, but were to be caring enough to help one another deal with them. If something threatened to draw one of them away from Jesus, then the rest were to caring-ly work to restore them and keep them in God's grace.
As you live life together with your fellow believers, how can you lovingly help them to be aware of the idols that they may be facing in life, and how can you help them in the battle against them?
Prayer--Lord Jesus, there are many things in this life that threaten to draw us away from You. We pray that we would find help from our fellow Christians in battling the idols of our lives. In the same way, graciously allow us to bring others to an awareness of the idols they may be facing, that we may speak Your Word of grace to them. We pray this in Your holy name. Amen.
1 John 5:21--Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
Devotion--It's often easier for someone on the outside to see the things that really seem to matter to us. We may think that some activity or "thing" isn't really all that important, and that we don't dedicate much time to it, but another person may be able to give us a better idea of just how much time and dedication that we really are giving to it.
That same thought can be applied toward the things that can potentially draw us away from God. We might look at them in our own lives and fail to see just how great their pull is upon us. But another person, standing outside of our shoes, may see where we are being drawn toward that thing and away from God. Their gentle words and caring attitude can often be the help that we need when we discover that some activity or thing is threatening to draw us away from God.
Likewise, we can serve in that same way for one another. It seems like that's the kind of thing that the elder John was encouraging God's people in their life together. They were not to turn a blind eye toward each other's idols, but were to be caring enough to help one another deal with them. If something threatened to draw one of them away from Jesus, then the rest were to caring-ly work to restore them and keep them in God's grace.
As you live life together with your fellow believers, how can you lovingly help them to be aware of the idols that they may be facing in life, and how can you help them in the battle against them?
Prayer--Lord Jesus, there are many things in this life that threaten to draw us away from You. We pray that we would find help from our fellow Christians in battling the idols of our lives. In the same way, graciously allow us to bring others to an awareness of the idols they may be facing, that we may speak Your Word of grace to them. We pray this in Your holy name. Amen.
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