“Thou Shalt Have No Other gods Before Me”
God must come first in one’s heart and life. Jesus said that this has the highest priority: the first and greatest commandment: “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38). God knows that by putting Him first and being dedicated to Him only that nothing else competes. This enables the seeker to truly appreciate God in his/her life. Jesus taught that nothing else should be in competition with God (and certainly not be held equal to God). He said in Matthew 6:24: “No man can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” God does not compete with other masters; one will ultimately give way to one or the other.
There is only one God.
Jesus exemplifies this attitude. In Matthew 4, Satan sought to tempt Jesus: “Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.’” Jesus responded, “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and Him only shalt thou serve” (Matthew 4:7-10). There was no competition. God’s place demands priority even over so-called necessities: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). Nothing is to be considered in competition with God. No thing should be regarded as having any place next to God—God is supreme; He is the greatest! God bless you, and I love you.