Abstain, Abstinence

Topics without scriptures: Abram, Absalom

One of the most obvious things to take away from this list of scriptures is that worshiping idols is bad. That may seem pretty basic - but there are still a lot of religions out there that still worship idols, so be careful not to put on your christian-american goggles. This is still a doctrine that needs to be taught.

But then there are the less obvious idols. These include a car, clothes, and other material objects. Then there are the even LESS obvious idols. These include a job, what others think of you, even an illness. An idol is basically anything that takes the place of God in our hearts and minds. That doesn't mean that we should not CARE about any of these things, it simply means to honestly re-evaluate how we treat and feel about the things that matter most to you or that you put time into. A lot of people say that if a gun was put up to their head they would still choose God, but I think what matters to God more than a fantasy in our heads is how we actually live out our lives hour by hour.

Another point that they bring up is that setting an example is important. So even if you're fine, you still probably shouldn't do it just in case someone who wouldn't "be fine" follows your example and gets into trouble. When I was little, my older sister and brother were walking along the back of the couch. I wanted to do it too so I climbed up on the back of the couch, made it almost all the way, lost my balance and broke my collar bone. I'm not saying that my siblings were sinning or leading me away into dark paths of destruction, but there is a lesson in this story of the influence of example and how others can be hurt.

I guess the final point I want to touch on is what happens to us when we abstain from things of the world. In Thessalonians 4:3 it says:

3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

And then in Alma 38:12 it says:

12 Use boldness, but not overbearance; and also see that ye bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love; see that ye refrain from idleness.

Though these two scriptures are touching on abstaining from sexual sin, I like the idea that abstaining from evil sanctifies us. Dictionary.com says that to sanctify means to make holy, set apart, and to consecrate. When we abstain we are consecrating our lives to God, not just with our words or our intentions, but with our lives.