By: Rex Stump
Wauseon, Ohio
I believe we would all agree boundaries are necessary. In sports, boundaries give athletes a limitation to where and how they play. It brings order to what could be chaos. Imagine having no out-of-bounds or foul lines.
When we drive, we have boundaries. Double yellow lines keep us from crossing over into the other lane, avoiding accidents, while guardrails keep us from driving off the side of a mountain.
Marine biologists safely study and observe sharks up close, thanks to the boundaries of a cage. And God’s Word, His Commandments, are not meant to spoil our fun or make life miserable. Boundaries are life-giving, not life-taking.
One of the greatest commandments is found in Exodus 20:1-3, “Then God gave the people all these instructions: I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. You must not have any other god but me.”
These are the very living, breathing, impacting words of God. These people were just a few months on their own and needed direction and protection from what they had learned their whole life while under slavery. He declared who He is and what He did for Israel.
God knows all about our pains of sin and the consequences of our sin, long before we ever commit them. But His commands give us the opportunity to find peace instead of pain, hope instead of despair, and direction instead of confusion.
These people grew up in Egypt in a time when there was an idol for everything. Weather, agriculture, health, victory — you name it, there was a god.
Both the Egyptians and the surrounding Canaanite nations worshipped polytheistic pantheons. God is the central point of the universe. “No other gods” means “in opposition to” or “in addition to.” God’s character demands exclusive worship of God.
Today, we still struggle with allowing false gods to compete for our worship with the One and Only True God of the Universe. The problem is that sometimes certain things come in between us and God.
Possessions, positions and relationships can easily take priority over our worship of God. These things aren’t bad; they just can’t be the priority over God.
God has blessed us with many things; those things can’t be God. When they come between us and God, when they take priority over God, they in a sense become a god to us. Even Jesus said, wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. (Mt. 6:21)
Take a moment today and evaluate your life. Has anything pulled you away or robbed you of your time with God?
Is anything constantly and consistently distracting your worship of God? Ask God to help you refocus and remember that He is the only one worthy of our worship.
“Stay strong, stay focused…stay faithful!”
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Rex Stump is the Area Director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and serves as a Pastor at True North Church in Wauseon, Ohio.
