Exodus 20:2-3, “‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me.'”

This command is the first of the Ten Commandments. In reality, it is the basis of all actions; because, at any point when we sin, we are putting another god before Him. The command is absolute. There is no grey area or room for negotiation. When God said it, He meant.

When I was a little boy, the command seemed simple because in my mind I only associated “other gods” with bronze figures made by men. My belief was, if I did not bow down and worship a statue, I was covered… which left room to focus on the other 9 commandments. Later in life, somewhere in my teenage years, I realized “other gods” come in all shapes and forms. They are hard to determined until it is too late and they can consume your heart before you are even aware of it

“You shall have no other gods before me…”

As I am writing this blog, a familiar song is playing in the background with the lyrics, “You are the King of my heart.” As though it is answering my own question, having no other gods BEFORE HIM is simply making God the “King our hearts.” God is worthy of honor, praise, loyalty, devotion, and adoration. He is the Creator of the universe and all that is in it. NOTHING is more important than Him. NOTHING should mean more to our hearts than Him; yet, many struggle in this area.

Maybe sports have taken a higher place in your life than Him; maybe food; maybe a person or money or a movie star; maybe alcohol or drugs; maybe pornography; maybe shopping or gambling; maybe your career; whatever it is, if it comes before God, you are breaking the First Commandment.

The order in which He made the Commandments is significant. The first four deal with our relationship with Him; because, if we do not know how to love our Maker, how can we love our neighbor? When we know who is front and center in our lives, the remaining falls into place.

Today evaluate where God is on your priority list. If something has slipped in front of Him, it is time to rework your list. God put it this way, “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.  Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:6-9.