“Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts” – I John 5: 21 (NLT)
Loyalty and exclusivity are essential for any meaningful relationship, whether romantic or business, to thrive. No one wants to navigate a relationship while facing competing interests. Similarly, God desires a relationship with each believer that is both loyal and exclusive, free from any competing allegiances.
Competing interests can easily distract us from the purpose of a relationship. The Bible reminds us that we were created for God, and all things exist for Him (Revelation 4:11). Therefore, knowing Him and making Him known should be our priority. To do this, we must resist anything that hinders our relationship with God. This is evident in God’s relationship with the children of Israel; after freeing them from Egypt, He gave them the first commandment: to have no other gods besides Him (Exodus 20:1-3), for He is a jealous God (Exodus 34:14).
Unlike the children of Israel who had to refrain from serving the gods of pagan nations, we have our small gods. These are the things we idolise and exalt consciously or subconsciously that contend with God’s place in our lives. An idol is anything from which you derive your sense of self-worth or any excessive affection that takes priority over God (Ezekiel 14:3-4).
To keep our hearts aligned with God, as our anchor scripture instructs, we must recognise the major contenders for our devotion. While relationships and fame can compete for our attention, the Bible identifies money as the greatest rival to God’s place in our hearts (Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:13). In fact, the Bible mentions money in nearly 2,350 verses—twice as many as faith and prayer combined. Money symbolises our energy, and if not carefully managed, we may start living for it instead of for God. Consider the story of the rich man, when Jesus asked him to sell all he had and follow Him; the man, valuing his wealth more, chose not to follow Christ (Matthew 19:24-26).
Money is just one of many contenders for our hearts. Even good things can compete with God’s place in our lives. So, what should we do?
We need to set boundaries by asking ourselves reflective questions about our priorities: What do I value most in my life? What might I be idolising, and what should be more important than that? Would losing this deeply valued thing leave me emotionally unstable or inconsolable? Like David, we should daily ask the Lord to search our hearts (Psalms 26:2, Psalms 139:23-24).
Dear believer, let us delight ourselves in the Lord daily and stay consecrated unto Him. By seeking Him daily through prayer and study we keep ourselves conscious of God as the center of our lives. Let God remain your chief joy above all else.
Say this: I esteem God the highest in my life and nothing else can take His place.
Bible Reading Plan: Hebrews 2