When God told Moses they should have no other gods before Him, He also meant there shouldn't be any other gods after him. He shouldn't just be at the top of a list of gods such as hobbies, interests, status, reputation, relationships, health, money, etc.. Often, I feel we have our cake and eat it too. We know how to play the game, look the part, and go through the motions, so we can get back to doing what we want. He said He wants all of our heart and ten percent of our money for tithes to keep the church ministry afloat. When He is residing in our hearts and we are living under the influence of His Spirit, He creates His character within us and all of those activities that once were gods or obsessions change as well. Some may have to leave, sure, but others are made pure and holy, as they are extensions of Him. And we won't miss those that have to go because He changes the desires of our hearts to better reflect His own.
He is a jealous God and a consuming fire. The Jews understood this and became serious about their relationship with Him. They somehow missed the spirit of His intention. He would eventually call them out, "You honor me with your lips, but your hearts are far from me." (Matt.) It's time for us to get serious about our relationship with the Lord. Idolatry is spiritual adultery. We learned from Jesus the truth about adultery in that if you simply look at a woman lustfully, you have already committed adultery. I would propose that how we think about things and activities can make them into obsessions or idols. If we are constantly wound up over an activity, or are continually thinking about him or her, or if we devote an obsessive amount of resources, then we are probably exercising spiritual adultery. Those things have stolen our hearts' devotion and have created a dysfunctional and unhealthy relationship.
As we are studying the Sh'ma in Deut. 6, we are commanded to teach these things to our kids. First, we teach them by being genuine examples of discipleship they can experientially observe in action. Second, we are charged with talking with them about the Lord and His ways. If you live the legacy, you will leave the legacy. The Word should have rightful residence in your mind. The full counsel of God should be present and ready for application. You should know God through the reading of His scriptures. It is within those pages you get to know His heart and character. The Word is to be a part of our homes. It should be at the center of our conversations. It is from the heart that the mouth speaks. We are to speak the words of God. They are words of life to those God puts in front of us. We are to teach our kids to love and obey the Lord.
Don't forget the Lord. He is going to bless you with things you don't deserve. Remember who gave them to you in the first place. These good things come from Him. They are not intended to become idols and distractions to our devotion to Him. It is a basic weakness of human nature to take blessings from God for granted. We see the cycle again and again in the Old Testament and we are not immune to the cycle ourselves. Fear the Lord, don't tempt Him. Don't think your wisdom and strength got you to where you are today. Walk in His ways and don't forget Him. Don't claim credit for accomplishments. Often, we want to experience His blessings but we don't want to obey the One who blessed us! Walk humbly before the Lord and point to Him in thankfulness. Keep everything in perspective. It's all for His glory.
What is your bent? I ran into someone who had never heard that term before. It is something I wish I could've had encouragement in early on. The definition includes "a tendency, disposition, or inclination". I could've benefitted from a mentor actually teaching me to think about who I wanted to be in life- what kind of man I wanted to be. Instead, it was too easy to get caught up in this or that, and sway to and fro between influences. It reminds me of the major requirements the Lord has set up for us. Each human must reckon with these simple but deep questions Jesus asked. "Who do YOU say I am?" "What do YOU want?" Each individual is required to decide and commit to the answers. No one else can decide for you. You must choose. It is the universal requirement. Deal with those questions and you are dealing with not only salvation, but also your bent in life. They deal with your spiritual maturity and direct your life's activities. They clarify your purpose and place in life.
So how do you measure up to the Greatest Commandments? Do you love God with all your heart? Are you loving other people like you love yourself? Nope. I hope nobody is fooling themselves to think they are! The law is perfect. We are not. Maybe the point is to have us discover that it is impossible for us to keep it perfectly? Maybe the intention is to have us realize our great, desperate need for a Savior to help us? Beware the passionate sentiment of Peter, who claimed he would surely go to death for Jesus. When the rooster crowed he became aware of his humanity. Passionate devotion sounds good and right, but the truth is we all fall short of keeping the law perfectly. We set out, thinking we can do this, but end up falling short again and again. If the Pharisees could have understood this, they would have admitted they also can't do it on their own. Remember when God blinded Saul on the road to Damascus, He spoke in an audible voice, "Saul, why do you persecute ME?" Saul was killing Christians. God defined that as doing it to Him. He took it personal. So should we, in that regard. How we treat others is how we are treating the Lord.
Would you agree that striving to keep the law also misses the point? So, are we to give up trying to keep the law? As disciples, we are called to continually follow Jesus. As we learn from Him, by listening and watching His example, His law becomes more fulfilled in and through us. It's like the law becomes true and alive in us because He is changing our hearts and empowering us to walk as the law describes. It is in this place where we can better love God and love others. Oh, and there is grace! He knows we can't do this perfectly, especially on our own! There is definitely a reason that He put forgiveness in place. We are to walk in forgiveness, as forgiven children of God, and extending forgiveness to others along the way. Stick with Jesus. Stay the course. Remain in Him and He will remain in you.
