In the Ten Commandments, God helps us identify the main relational barriers—the sins—that can get be¬tween us and him.
Thankfully the first commandment isn’t a big deal since almost everyone believes in God—or is it? I suppose that depends on what God is asking of us here.
The first commandment is much more than simply a call to believe in the existence of a higher being. This is a practical command. The “other gods” of which this command speaks include any persons or things in my life to which I give an excessive amount of loyalty, or for which I have an excessive amount of affection. My “god” is the person or thing highest in rank or authority in my life. This command, then, isn’t simply about my abstract beliefs. This command is about how I live and what I value most.
God isn’t just saying we need to believe he exists. The God of the Bible wants to be the only God in our lives. If we follow some other god, that will be a barrier to our relationship with the true God.
I need to look closely at my agenda for today, the peo¬ple I spend time with, and how I spend my money. How “god-like” are these activities in my life?
Is there some barrier-breaking that I need to do so that God will be first in my life?
PRAYER
Almighty God, believing you exist is no huge feat. Valuing you as my one and only God is much more difficult. Please show me how I am doing and where I may change. Amen.
神用十诫来帮助我们识别，罪是我们与祂之间的关系的主要障碍。
庆幸的是，十诫中的第一条诫命不难做到，因为差不多每一个人都相信有神—— 但他们真的相信吗？我认为答案在乎神在这要求我们做甚么。
第一条诫命不单是要求我们相信有一位超自然的主宰，它乃是一条带有实际行动的命令。在我们生命中，若有任何我们过分投入或过于恋慕的人或物，都是诫命提到的「别的神」，我的「神」是那些在我生命中占最重要地位或有最高权威的人或物。因此，这条诫命不单是关于我抽象的信念，这条诫命乃是关乎我如何生活和我究竟最看重甚么。
神不单单要求我们相信祂的存在，圣经中的神要在我们生命中作独一无二的神。我们若跟随其他神，我们与这位真神的关系便受到阻碍了。
我必须省察一下，我今天计划做甚么事、我与甚么人交往、和我如何使用我的钱财，我做这些事情时，能否循「神的样式」去做？
我有没有甚么障碍需要除去，好叫神能在我生命中居首位呢？
祷告
全能的神，相信祢存在并不困难，但尊为独一无二的神却困难得多了。求祢让我看见自己的表现如何，和有甚么地方需要改善。阿们。