Be Still And Know

1 John 5:21 'Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.' Every day we are all being bombarded with influences. Family, friends, television, internet, advertising, books, social media and radio are all trying to claim our attention and suggest different ways in which we should be thinking. Much of the time we don’t even notice it’s happening, but the truth is that we cannot stop the process. Most of those influences are not inherently bad, but they all have the potential to distract us from serving God. Idols come in many shapes and sizes. They will never announce themselves as such, but they are anything that takes God’s place in our hearts, as this verse so clearly states. Anything at all. It could be your family, your hobby, your football team, your garden or your job. Anything which takes first place in our lives pushes God into second place at best. Don’t misunderstand what I am saying. Our families, our hobbies, our sporting interests, our gardens and our work