Exodus 20:1-22:15
Exodus 20:1-3, "Then God gave the people all these instructions. And God spoke all these words: ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me.'"
Too many times, we look at the Bible as just a book of rules and regulations. We tend to balk at being told what we can and can't do. This is especially true with the Ten Commandments. But we will miss the point of these directives if we don't understand God's reasoning. The first four commandments tell us how to relate to God. The other six instruct us how to relate to one other. When our lives align with God vertically, it empowers us to experience great relationships horizontally, with the people around us.
When God rescued the Israelites from 400 years of Egyptian bondage, He knew they needed to learn how to live outside of a culture centered around idol worship. The same holds true for us today. We may not worship golden idols, but we are often guilty of placing other things and, at times, other people before God. We bow to our schedules, social media, and personal pleasure, to name a few. Yet, when our hearts are in the right relationship with God, it easily overflows with love for those around us. When we do, our lives fire on all cylinders as we live our lives in the way God desires.
Therefore, don't view God's commands as a list of dos and don'ts, but as guardrails to help us live a life of purpose that brings God the glory He deserves!
Heavenly Father, Thank You for loving me and showing me how to live. I know that Your laws are meant to bring blessings to my life. Help me always look to You for guidance with each step I take, and not place anything above You. Amen.