The First Commandment

The Lord has placed sharing the Ten Commandments on my heart. Over the next week and a half, I'll expound on each of them, one at a time. Tonight, we'll begin with the first, which is first mentioned in Exodus Chapter 20, verse 3:

Exodus 20:3 (Amplified Bible)

You shall have no other gods before or besides Me.

What does that really mean? Obviously, the Lord doesn't want us to worship other non-existent Gods, or to place idols of any kind above Him. This is very easy to mentally grasp; we're supposed to put God first in our lives. However, how often do we actually live in this way? From personal experience, I can assure you that on a normal work day, the Lord isn't always at the pinnacle of my thoughts.

It's not that I set out each day to worship other Gods or idols- God forbid!. My heart is for the Lord. However, living in a prosperous modern Western culture can offer many deterrents. We simply have access to everything. A cop-out you say? Let's take a look at some of the most common 'idol opportunities' that are present in everyday life. I've got them in my house, and I'm certain you do, too:

Television - the network programming we watch or choose stream on demand can really become a stumbling block for some Christians. Some people can count the number of hours set aside for quality worship on one hand, while their DVR's are brimming with weeks of programming, waiting to be viewed.

Money - whether it's lack of it, or a surplus, money is often worshiped because of its ability to directly and tangibly impact our everyday lives. We think about it a lot, and some even dream about it. What would it be like to win the lottery?

Material things - as with television sets, many are caught up in obtaining (and maintaining) the fastest cars, most fashionable clothes, latest computers, largest houses etc. It's easy to become lost when "keeping up with the Joneses" becomes a focal point, either consciously, or unconsciously. God is supposed to meet our needs- are we satisfied with this?

Time - Where are you spending your time? Are you honoring the Lord with the 24 hours he gives you each and every day? Are you making the most of each day, living and loving those around you? Or, is time being squandered on unfruitful things like laziness, selfishness, bitterness, anger or apathy? How often do we set about spending time with Jesus?

I've been guilty of all of these things at one time or another in my life. In fact, i still struggle with some of them today.

It's not that any one of these elements is inherently evil. It's alright to enjoy a movie, go out to eat, buy an iPad, etc. God loves to bless us. Rather, it's the condition of our hearts while we either use, or are in the presence of such things that becomes a problem. God wants access to all of us, in every way. Nothing is supposed to get in the way, or even come close. Anything that competes with our devotion to the Lord is an idol.

Let's rid ourselves of the idols in our lives, shall we? I'm not telling you to get radical and toss your television sets out of the top floor window. I'm simply asking you to step back and take a long, honest look at where you're devoting your attention, time, and money. Then, prioritize.

Let's take the steps to obey the first commandment and put God first.

Good Night