Ten Commandments
2. No Idols

⁴ You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. ⁵ You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, ⁶ but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. _{(Exodus 20:4-6)}

The Israelites made a golden calf as an idol to be worshipped, in the belief that their chances of salvation would be improved.

Today we have many different idols: maybe it is a prized possession; maybe a pop star or footballer; maybe a career; maybe wealth. Whatever it is, it will be the thing that we spend most of our time and energy focused on - it is something that we put great emphasis on and provides the inspiration for our life.

God, as creator, gives us special privileges in the world. He wants us to have a close relationship with him. God tells us that worshipping idols stops us worshipping Him. He offered us covenants; but when we could not keep our part of the agreement he gave his Son to live among us, know our experiences and ultimately that he would die brutally on the cross. Jesus died and was resurrected, at that first Easter, so that through faith our sins can be forgiven, wiped away and given a new start.

He calls on us to set our priorities with Christ at the centre. Our lives should be built around professing our faith in worship and living our daily lives within His framework.

What an advantage we have compared to the Israelites, who were struggling in a new land - Egypt did not look so bad after all. Bewildered, wondering why they had left their relatively stable lives behind. In Christ we have a saviour, a mediator, who bridges the gap between God the Father and ourselves.

If we pursue our own personal ambitions for the love of a car, a career or even some aspect of church life then we diminish God's place. Whatever our misguided ambition is, history suggests that it will not lead to fulfilment - such relationships are one way, we can love as much as we want, but that love is not returned.

The relationship with God is initiated by God himself, when we respond in love and faith then God pours out even more love on us. How can we respond in any way other than worshipping and proclaiming the wonderful, glorious, living, authentic God.

It is not always easy! Through God we may be called to live our lives in ways that we never imagined and in places that never seemed possible. From personal experience God equips us and provides for us far beyond our needs. Through difficult times God has cared for me and given me the strength to come through. I am exploring what I should be doing on my Christian journey and God is clearly guiding and supporting me - when I have doubted I have been reassured by clear messages.