Commandment I

Commandment I. :

                You shall have no other gods before Me.

         "Before" means "in front of in importance".  "gods" is in little letters because only the Lord God is the real God. Do you have another god before the Lord God? Is there some one or some thing or some idea that preoccupies you, that drives you, that energizes you, that you value or find more important in your life, more important than the Lord God Who created you?  Is you worth dependant on this thing more than your dependence upon the Lord God Almighty?  What could it be?  

Vehicle         Adornments         Property         Toys         Games     Clothing     Animals         Work        Appearance     Personal Skills   Money          Drugs           TV     

In most cases, if we are honest with ourselves, we can say "Yes, I do have 'other gods before' the Lord God Almighty."

How all of these pale in comparison to the Righteousness of the Lord God Who can dwell richly in you if you let Him in!! He sees inside you, even better than your outside. God is interested in your insides much more than your outsides. Your heart is what matters most to the Lord God Almighty!

 

Car or Truck or Boat,     Does your vehicle take up a lot of your time and thoughts? Do you take pleasure having the best vehicle on the road? Do you care for it and show great joy when showing it to others? Do you feel more important when others see you with it, or in it?  Do you spend more time and money for it than you do for the Lord God Almighty?

Jewelry, tattoos,         Do you find that your physical adornments make you feel better about yourself?  Do you find that when you wear jewelry you feel more comfortable than when you are not wearing it?  Does it seem to make you feel more valuable with it on than if you wear none of it?  Is you worth dependant on this thing more than your dependence upon the Lord God Almighty?

House(s) or Property,         Are you always thinking about buying a bigger and better house, or a better location? Are you always working on your house to make it better and better at the exclusion of talking with God?  Do you work on it in excess trying to impress your neighbors or friends with what it looks like?  Does your own personal value seem to go up if it is "just right", and go down when it has that "lived in" look?  Do you spend more time and money for it than you do with the Lord God Almighty?

Toys, your collection,         Are you the happiest when playing with your toys, video games, Gameboy, or your special collection?  Do you feel more special in having "special editions" like Gameboy Color? Do you find you are discontent when you are alone with "nothing to do"?  Does an empty feeling fill your soul, and make you wish you were playing with what you own,  instead of appreciating God's nature and reading His Word?  Do you feel inadequate if you are not thinking about these things?  Does a relationship with God take second place to these things?

Sports,  games,         Are you always thinking about the scores, the statistics, the players, your playing ability, who's on first, what's on second…Do you have the latest tickets to the game?  Are you preoccupied with the conversations you've had with co-workers and others about the sport?  Is there room for Jesus Christ in this game?

Clothing,         Do you buy clothing and shoes often? Do you always have to have the latest fashions?  Do you need to buy them at the "best" or most expensive store?  Do you find that you can't wait to show others what you have just got?  Are you elated with yourself because of what you have on?  Would you "not be caught dead" in something "less" than appropriate?  Do you think that others judge your value by what you wear?  Do you consider what God sees inside your heart more than what others see outside it?

Horse, dog, pets, livestock,         Do you derive great personal satisfaction from your animal(s)?  Do you feel more important owning it than not? Do you pay attention to it, to the exclusion of worship of the Lord God Almighty?

Television, Music, movie or singing stars,         Do you spend lots of time every week watching TV?  Do you listen to music to the avoidance of listening to the Lord speak to you?  Do you think about shows or movies when you are not watching them?  Do you think about these things more than you think about your relationship with the Lord God Almighty and all that He does for you?  Do you spend more time per day with the TV than you do in prayer?

Gambling, alcohol, drugs, physical relationships with other people,         Do any of these take up your time, money or attention?  Do you do any of these for the wish of being a "big winner", or forgetting your troubles, or getting "happy", or for getting the biggest high, and getting the greatest thrill?  Are you looking for importance in your life?  Do you want value and worth that you think these can give you?  Do you spend time thinking about these things more than you giving honor and homage to the Lord God Almighty?  See Drugs and Alcohol

Money, prestige, job title, intellectual prowess,         Do these things matter to you?  Are you driven to make more money, to have more people "look up to you", to be called by a special name or title, to have a certain professional identity, to have people know you for your intelligence or particular talent and ability?  Do you place the worth of these in greater importance than that of the Lord God Almighty actively participating and leading your life?

Work, what you do with you time, your busy-ness,         Do you spend more time doing things than giving homage to the Lord God Almighty? Does work and "things to do" keep you so busy that you do not read God's Word, the Bible, or worship and honor Him with your time, actions and thoughts each week?  What comes before the Lord?

Physical appearance,         Do you spend a lot of time attending to your physical appearance?  Do you work out a lot in the gymnasium, or aerobics class, or practice your sport a lot to get and keep your body "just right"?  Does your time get eaten up by manicures, pedicures, hair-dos, and looking at magazines to see how you might want to look?  Do your friends seem to be interested in your physical appearance, and encourage you in it? Do you spend more time and money on your physical well being  than placing more importance on nurturing your inside soul with a relationship with Living Lord of all?

Personal skills, great use of words, sense of humor, sensitivity to spiritual matters, being popular,...,         Does your identity hold closely to any of these wonderful gifts?  Do you take great enjoyment in using your talents for others to think well of you? When someone hears your name, do you think that they will think of one of these things about you first?  Do you spend much time thinking of ways of showing your cleverness, humor, spiritual insight, and being popular?  Do these come in your thoughts before thinking about the Lord God Almighty and how He wants you to be?

        What a cheap price you are selling your soul for! Yes, the devil has fed you the lie (hyper-story backgrd Eden) that any thing else is more important than the Lord God Almighty!! And if you do not give the Lord God Almighty what is due Him, (VS honor, glory worship) you have bought the lies! Do you really think that if you value what you do for these worldly reasons, you will be happy forever?  Are you happy now?  Will you be happy when your final judgment comes?  Hebrews 9:27, man is destined to die once, and after that the judgment."     Think again… Temporary treasures on this earth, or permanent one in heaven!! Matthew 6:19,20 Jesus says, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  But the Lord God Almighty has a solution for you!    See  2 Cor 5:17 !

Bring me to the 10 Commandments.

If you find that you have not obeyed even one of God's Laws,  GO HERE

Bring me to the Bible words of Salvation      or Sinful Life     or  Righteousness     or  What Next      or Promises     or Holy Spirit in the Believer     

But the Lord God Almighty has a solution for you!    See  2 Cor 5:17 !

 

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