No Other Gods

 

“You shall have no other gods before me.”

Exodus 20:3

Let’s take a heartfelt look at our need to respond, in obedience, to the Word of God.

Let me ask you something.

What things (granted some of them may be good) do we respond to that may compete with Gods’ purposes for our life?

Some of the huge ones that often draw us away from the plans of God are:

Career

When we choose career over Christ we have selected

something we only think can satisfy us.

There is no eternal satisfaction in a successful career.

Jesus asked in Mark 8:36

“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”

So are successful careers evil?

Not at all, only when they impede or replace my relationship with God

and obeying His plans for my life.

Money

We are cautioned concerning money:

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.

Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and

pierced themselves with many griefs.” I Timothy 6:10

So we note that money itself is not evil.

It is when we love money more than God.

We cannot serve two masters.

Family

This can be a difficult one for so many because we are certainly to love our family and to provide for them. However, when our affections and attention are given to family exclusively and God is left out of all that we do there is a problem.

“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”

We often bristle at this statement of Jesus’ and yet He clearly says the

words: “…more than me…” helping us to understand that it is normal and right to love family but it too can reach a point where that love keeps us from obediently following Him.

I want to reiterate that careers, money and family are not, necessarily evil.

When we magnify and exalt those, or any other things or people,

we do have a problem

Examine your values today and put first things first!