“You shall have no other gods before (or besides) me.” – Exodus 20:3
Several years ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit China. While there, I tried a bunch of interesting food, visited several beautiful locations, and only occasionally made a fool of myself by not understanding Chinese customs.
One place we visited was a large Buddhist temple. The architecture was amazing and the beautiful landscaping was stunning. As we approached the temples themselves (there were several) my heart began to ache.
In front of me stood huge statues, 20-30 feet tall, of the Buddhist deities and there was a constant flow of people going into the temples to offer prayers to these deities. I understand that the Buddhist concept of God (or gods) is different from that of Christianity, but regardless of the definition, they were gods in the sense that the people were looking to them for their help, protection, and provision.
In Luther’s Large Catechism, the section on the First Commandment says this:
“You are to have no other gods.”
That is, you are to regard me alone as your God. What does this mean, and how is it to be understood? What does “to have a god” mean, or what is God?
Answer: A “god” is the term for that to which we are to look for all good and in which we are to find refuge in all need. Therefore, to have a god is nothing else than to trust and believe in that one with your whole heart…”
That day was heart-breaking, but the truth is that everyday we see people worshiping false gods. It may be money, relationships, popularity, power, or literal idols. Whatever it is, when someone puts something above God, trusting in that thing for all good and refuge, it has become their god.
God wants us to look to Him for all good and for our refuge. He wants this because He is the only true God. Therefore, only He deserves our worship and only He can provide for us and protect us. To turn elsewhere is foolishness.
This first commandment is also the primary commandment. All other commandments rest on this one. When we say we should not murder, it’s begins with our fearing and loving God.
What do you look for all the good of your life? What do you trust for your protection? I encourage you to examine yourself. If you need to confess, do so, knowing that God will forgive you.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
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