God is First

Then God spoke all these words: ²I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; ³you shall have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:1-3

 

Idolatry is a slippery thing.  We might think the first commandment is about worshipping foreign gods or statues, and it is.  But idolatry is also about the things that get in the way of our relationship with God.  When things other than God are first place in our lives they function as an idol.  It can be negative things like money or pride or power, but it can also be benign things like health and family and security.  The other gods in our lives beg us to trust them rather than God.  These other gods seek our attention and devotion and promise happiness, success, and security.  God called the Israelites to faithfulness and to remember all that God had done for them.  We need this reminder too.  We need to remember that God has given us all we have and will ever be.  We need to remember that God is God and nothing else is. God is calling us to a faithful life in which God comes first.  May we have the strength and wisdom to put God first and reject the siren song of the idols which call our name.