“You shall have no other gods before Me.” Exodus 20:3
God never changes! He has a personality and experiences emotions just like you and me. I have learned that God is very jealous and this emotion can be like a consuming fire. This seems a little difficult to understand since He created all living things and has power and dominion over everything in the heavens and earth. But it is the truth.
God wants all of you! He does not want to be a part-time God or have to compete with other gods or idols. This is very important to God and is the foundation to a genuine relationship with Him.
When you make a commitment to God, you are agreeing to worship only Him and to make Him the centerpiece of your life. This literally means that God comes first in every aspect of your life including your relationships, your money, your decision making, your work, and your leisure activities. God wants to be a part of all the details in your life–both the big and little things.
The biblical principle is to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and then your needs and desires will follow. The priority will always be God first and your needs second. This order will never change.
God wants you to have balance in your life with Him sitting on the throne. Any time you devote an inordinate amount of time and energy to a specific task or a desire you are risking falling into the category of worshipping an idol. This causes God to be jealous because He is getting leftovers and this diminishes the power of His Spirit working within you.
The secret is to commit each day to God and seek out His will for you. This pleases God greatly and He will go before you and make your path smooth.
Hal Hollister Ministry 