The First Place
““You shall have no other gods before me.”
FIRST OF THE TEN
Before any other command, God stakes a claim — this one orders all the rest, because everything begins with who you worship.
BEFORE ME
"Before me" can be read as "in my presence" — there's no room in a life lived before God for hidden rivals.
GODS WEAR MANY NAMES
A god is anything that gets more of your time, trust, and fear than God Himself — the name changes, the principle doesn't.
JEALOUSY THAT PROTECTS
This command doesn't come from insecurity but from exclusive love — like a faithful spouse, God refuses to share His place.
FOUNDATION FOR THE OTHER NINE
Every commandment that follows depends on this first one — putting God in His rightful place is what makes loving your neighbor rightly possible.
NAME THE RIVAL
Act: Before breakfast, name out loud one thing that has been competing for first place in your heart, and hand it over to God in prayer.