Little children, keep yourselves from idols. 1 John 5:21

Anything that is cherished and cultivated apart from (in such a sense that we cannot carry it with us in the Godward movement of our life) becomes necessarily a hindrance, a profination, and at last a source of idolatry.

Extraced from THE WONDERFUL TREE, a sermon by Geehardus Vos. (which, if you haven't read, you must!!)

Paul Moser on a website that posts the writings of P. T. Forsythe, has these helpful thoughts on idolatry.

"What are we living for?  Things that kill and die, such as ourselves? Or things that give lasting life? Idols are things that kill. We die if we live for idols....we are truly freed from idols only by the power of God's grace, that is, by the free divine gift of God's Spirit through Jesus."

"Often we are unaware of the idols that kill us and, as a result, we neglect their deadly roles in our lives. Once we become aware of our idols, we still need power to be freed from them. We find ourselves, however, without the needed power within us."

"We need help from One who cares for us and has the power to free us. We need the power of a perfectly loving God. The Good News is that such power is in fact available as the prodigal children come Home."
   
"Our having idols at all is a spiritual heart problem. It signifies distortion and corruption at the spiritual core of a person. It is, in the end, our failure to put first things first, in particular, the first One first in our lives. Left untreated, our idols empty our lives of peace, joy, and unselfish love."

"Idolatry begins as theft from God, the gift Giver, as we value something or someone in a way that hinders the love and trust we owe to God. Idolatry turns back on us, however, to keep us from having what we need for true, lasting satisfaction in life. In the end, the greatest human tragedy is idolatry."

"It diminishes and even severs friendship with God, the only Giver of lasting life and satisfaction. Out of the tragedy of idolatry come all other human woes, including addictions, worries, selfish fears, resentments, jealousies, hatreds, and so on."

From the Puritan Stephen Charnock on idolatry....

"Idolatry grows in an environment where 'we feed upon the bone and not the marrow.'  We are pleased to crunch away on the shell, and not the kernel.  The internal worship of God, the worship of the heart, is unmoved.

Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16

Matthew Henry (1662-1714) is best known for his Exposition of the Old and New Testaments. His biographer tells of how he guarded his time, and the older he got, the more careful he was to redeem Time. And when he wasted time, he complained about it.

Though he appreciated his friends, still often he emerged from an evening of entertainment regretting the time, with the moan of David on his lips, "O that I had wings like a dove, for then I would fly away and be at rest."

Once when with company he had frittered away a whole day to little obvious advantage, he wrote about it that night with much concern...

"I look upon this as a lost Day. Lord, forgive my trifling. I would rather preach Twice every day in the Week, than spend another Day so unprofitably."

William Wilberforce complained about "the temptations of the table," and bemoaned the endless stream of dinner parties, filled with vain and useless conversation.

"They disqualify me for every useful purpose in life, waste my time, impair my health, and fill my mind with thoughts of resistance before and self-condemnation afterward."

Thomas A'Kempis stated "as oft as I have been among men, I returned home less a man than I was before."

Henry Martyn, the brilliant missionary to India in the 1800's, identified the source of his spritual lethargy. "I no longer hesitate to ascribe my stupor and formality to its right cause - unwatchfulness in worldly company."

"I thought that any temptation arising from the society of the people of the world, at least of such as we have had, was not worthy of notice; but I find myself mistaken."

"The frequent occasions of being among them of late, have proved a snare to my corrupt heart. Instead of returning with a more elastic spring to severe duties, as I expected, my heart wants more idleness, more dissipation."

"David Brainerd in the wilderness - what a contrast to Henry Martyn! But, God be thanked, that a start now and then interrupts the slumber. I hope to be up and about my Master's business, to cast off the works of darkness and to be spiritually-minded, which alone is life and peace."

"But what a dangerous country it is that we are in; hot weather or cold, all is softness and luxury; all a conspiracy to lull us to sleep in the lap of pleasure."

"While we pass over this enchanted ground, call, brother (Rev. D. Corrie) whenever you can and ask, "Is all well?" We are as shepherds keeping watch over our flocks by night; if we fall asleed, what is to become of them!"