You Shall Have No Other Gods Before Me — Exodus 20:3
“You shall have no other gods before me”
— Exodus 20:3, NIV
This is the first of the Ten Commandments, and its message is simple: God must have first place in our lives.
God gave these words to Moses at Mount Sinai, after He had rescued His people from slavery in Egypt. Just before this command, He reminds them, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery” (Exodus 20:2). This command was not the price of their rescue. He gave it to people He had already set free.
We may not worship a carved idol, but anything can become a god if it takes first place in our hearts. Money, career, success, comfort, the approval of others, even our phones can move to the center of our lives. A useful test is to ask what we think about most, spend most on, and fear losing most.
Notice the words “before me.” God does not ask us to care about nothing else. He asks for first place. Loving our families, working hard and enjoying good things are not wrong. They become a problem only when they take the place that belongs to God.
Think of a car on a long journey. There may be several passengers, but only one person can sit in the driver’s seat. When God is in that seat, everything else finds its proper place. That is why Scripture urges us, in all your ways acknowledge him.
Idols usually begin in the heart long before they show in our actions. This is one reason the Bible tells us to guard our hearts.
Jesus summed up this commandment when He said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).
Today, ask God to show you anything that has crept into first place. Give it back to Him, and begin the day by putting Him first.
Lord, You alone are God. Take first place in my heart, and help me love You above everything else. Amen.
Comments
Post a Comment