1 John 5:13-21

Be Still: Lord, rid me of all distractions that I may encounter you in this moment.

Read: 1 John 5:13-21
Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. (v21)

Encounter: ‘Yours sincerely, {insert name here}.’ That’s how my English teacher taught me to sign off a letter. Over the years, it’s served me well. The apostle John, however, opts for something slightly different in today’s reading, and I’ll be honest -- it threw me.

No ‘best wishes,’ no ‘hope to see you soon,’ not even simply ‘John.’ Instead, he closes his letter with, ’Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.’

At first glance, it seems out of place. John doesn’t mention idols anywhere else in this letter. His primary focus has been love. Across five short chapters, he’s used the word ‘love’ 46 times. This is a letter about loving God and being loved by Him. A sudden warning about idolatry feels... unexpected.

Or does it? Perhaps John understood what C.S. Lewis would articulate centuries later: ’Idols always break the hearts of their worshippers.’

Idols do this not just because they fail to deliver the peace or security they promise but because they keep us from the One who can. They divert our gaze. 

While idols can never diminish God’s love for us -- nothing can -- they distract us, pulling our focus away from him, leaving us unable to receive his love or respond in kind fully.

John’s instruction to ‘keep yourselves from idols’ is ongoing. The phrase carries the weight of continually guarding against them. Why? Because idols rarely announce themselves. They creep in quietly, starting small but eventually competing with God for our affection and allegiance.

That’s why this sign-off is perfect. John’s deepest desire is for us to live fully in the reality of God’s love -- a love that idols will always distort and disrupt. His parting words challenge us to actively guard our hearts as a pathway to deeper intimacy with the One who loves us most.

Apply: Ask yourself: Are there any subtle idols -- habits, desires, or distractions -- competing for your gaze? Bring them before God, knowing that he alone can fill the places they never could.

Devote: God, be first in my heart. Help me guard against anything that competes for my affection.