By Jacques Munnik
Minister, Teacher, and Founder of Evangelical Universe Ministries
“Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” 1 John 5:21 (ESV) This morning, as the train carried me toward worship, the Spirit pressed this word on my heart. Conviction came, gentle but unmistakable.
In quiet reflection, the Lord revealed something I would rather not see. Sometimes, my phone edges into the place that belongs to Him. I open the Bible app with good intent, but a message draws me away. I have even broken the stillness to share a verse before truly listening to God myself.
To some, this may seem small. But today, it felt weighty.
John closes his letter with a short but searching command: “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” In context, he has just spoken of the true God and eternal life in His Son, and then he ends with this warning, as if to say: guard your heart carefully, because anything that competes with the Lord for your trust, attention, and affection becomes dangerous.
Scripture makes clear that God is jealous for His people, not with sinful envy, but with holy covenant love. He will not share His glory with another, because idols always pull us away from what is true, living, and life-giving. Exodus 20:5, Exodus 34:14, Deuteronomy 4:24, and Isaiah 42:8 all speak of this holy jealousy.
We picture idols as ancient statues, but Scripture speaks deeper. Idolatry is a matter of the heart. Whatever rules our attention or shapes our desires can quietly become an idol. The warning is not only for the past. It is for us, here and now.
Today, conviction came close. The phone is not evil. It can carry Scripture, minister to others and connect us for His glory. But when it intrudes on the place reserved for God, it no longer serves. It begins to master. Our habits of attention reveal our loves and shape them.
That is why this word pierced me. I had excused what was, in truth, a modern idol. Not a statue, but a distraction. I let something else enter the sacred space meant for the Lord alone.
Yet mercy meets us in conviction. God does not expose us to shame, but to call us home.
As I sat with this, the Lord showed me a simple path. If my phone distracts me in devotion, I must choose discipline. Perhaps it means returning to a printed Bible or initiating aeroplane mode, so the Word stands alone, uninterrupted.
Sometimes the most spiritual step is a practical one.
As we enter this week, let us ask: what interrupts our gaze on God? What slips into the place of prayer and stillness? The answer may seem small, but if it takes His place, it must be named and surrendered.
The Lord is worthy of more than our leftovers. He deserves our first gaze, our quietest moments, our whole hearts. Let us keep ourselves from idols, both the obvious and the subtle. This week, take the step needed to make room for unbroken communion with Him.
Shalom, Jacques
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“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37 to 40. This passage brings us straight back to the heart of faithful living: love.
Wonderfully Made
“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:13 to 14) A plunge into the English Channel became a fresh reminder that the human body bears witness to God’s purposeful and breathtaking design.
When the Road Gets Steep
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith...” (Hebrews 12:1 to 2) When the road rises, and breath grows thin, we are not alone, for this passage calls us to endure by fixing our eyes on Christ.
Blessed Reassurance
Romans 8:38 to 39 (ESV) “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Paul’s words are not wishful thinking.
Turn Your Face First
“The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals, but sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments, and not according to the practices of Israel.” (2 Chronicles 17:3 to 4, ESV)
We Are All One Body
“In the human body, there are many parts and organs, each with a unique function. And so it is in the body of Christ. For though we are many, we’ve all been mingled into one body in Christ. This means that we are all vitally joined to one another, with each contributing to the others.”(Romans 12:4 to 5) [TPT] This week, let this picture reshape how you see the Church, not as separate camps, but as one living Body across the world.
Fellowship Matters
"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV)
When God Moves You
God has always called His people to move. Sometimes, He leads us to new places. More often, He stirs us within, shifting our hearts, our hopes, and our work. In every movement, He is shaping faith, revealing purpose, and drawing us deeper into His story.
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