JUL 17

Matthew 4:10
Memorise 2 Chronicles 15:2
“For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God”

When God says ‘no other’, He is serious. He really does mean that we must have no other gods at all. It is an exclusive relationship, between God and man, and nothing else can come in between. In the Old Testament, idolatry was a huge problem for the nation of Israel. Time and time again, they would return to their idolatrous ways, and God would be very angry. When they forsook God, God also forsook them, and allowed their enemies to gain victories over them, as was explained to King Asa, “The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.” (2 Chronicles 15:2). However, at this juncture, we might stop and think, why such exclusivity? Does it mean that I can enjoy nothing else in life, and I must just devote all my time and energy to God? Must I give up all that I have, and lead an ascetic life? It seems so hard to be idol-free to be a Christian!

Dear Teen, what we must realise is that as Christians, we are spiritual people with a spiritual focus in our lives. If we have our priorities and motivations right, then everything that we do will be for God, with Him foremost in our minds. This is not to say we cannot pursue after any hobbies or activities outside of church life. As people sojourning in the world, it is inevitable that we have to take part in some secular activities. Yet we must not so sharply dichotomize these things that we do in life to ‘spiritual’ and ‘secular’. As spiritual beings, everything that we do, if done with the right motive, can be to the glory of God. We must worship the Lord our God, and Him only we shall serve, but we must realize that worship and service to God can come from every aspect of our lives. Whether it be our schoolwork, our interaction with our friends and family, our time spent during recreation, or time spent in church, all these activities can be service for God, if done with the right purpose and motive. In anything and everything we do, we must ask ourselves, how can this bring glory to God? How can it draw me closer to Him? Thus in our schoolwork, we seek to do our best for God. In our relationships, we seek to be good testimonies. In our recreations, we do things that would draw us closer, and not away from God. These are just some small ways in which we can fulfill the first commandment, of a life exclusive in worship and service to our God.

Thought: Our lives can be lived exclusively for God and not self!
Prayer: Lord, help me to glorify You in every aspect of my life.