CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) Do you know the first commandment?
It’s not honor thy father and thy mother. It’s not thou shalt not kill. We are told that we shall not steal and we shall not covet. But those are all further down the list.
The first commandment is: “I am the Lord your God. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
Of course, God, who created us, is an expert on human nature. God, who is not seen and is seldom heard, knew that He would compete for our attention. I suspect on many days our ‘to-do’ list is more prominent in our minds than the almighty. Shoveling the snow, doing the laundry, or getting groceries are here-and-now things. They’re right before us. God, sitting high on a heavenly throne, sees far away and more conceptual. I will confess that I don’t think I’ve ever stopped a household chore to pray. A neat house should not be before God.
I put a tremendous amount of time and effort into my career. That’s how most people know me: “Chris Conley… broadcaster” and not necessarily “Chris Conley… Christ-follower.” Have I put broadcasting before God? Perhaps.
Many of us put money before God.
For others it is material comforts before God.
Relationships with loved ones? As important as they are to a happy life, they should not be placed ahead of God.
I’ve also come to think of Lent as a gift from God – these 40 days that we are in the middle of in preparation for Easter morning. We do not set aside 40 days to contemplate housework, or our careers, or our finances. 40 days to reflect on our faith, to reflect on what really matters, is exactly what we need.
For the rest of this Lenten season, let’s keep the first commandment first in our hearts.
Chris Conley
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