The order of the Ten Commandments is not haphazard. God intentionally put the first one first because it is fundamental to all of the rest.

In Exodus 20:1-3, God said, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.”

God demands top priority in our lives. He deserves to be number one. After all, he made us. Everything we have in life, including life itself, is a gift from God.

So what does it mean to have no other gods before God? And what is a god anyway?

A god is anything that dominates or controls your life. There are plenty of possible gods in a person’s life. Your god might be your career, another person, a possession or even a hobby.

Even the good things that God has created for us to enjoy can become gods when you give them first place in your life.

The God of the Bible, the Creator of heaven and earth, truly deserves to be first in our lives. Whenever anything or anyone takes the place that rightly belongs to him, that single decision will have devastating implications on every other aspect of our life.

This is a foundational principle for life. If your foundation is wrong, it doesn’t matter how pretty the structure is, it is destined to fall without the proper foundation. That may explain a lot about your past. Have you been building on the wrong foundation?

Nobody admires the foundations of famous buildings like the White House, the Sears Tower or the Biltmore. Foundations aren’t glamorous or noteworthy, but the truth is, the foundation is the most important part of the building. Without a proper foundation, the structure is destined to fall.

Today, the foundation in America is crumbling and falling apart. It is no wonder. We have tried to remove God from every corner of society. We’re building on the wrong foundation. To build your life on the right foundation requires putting God first.

As a nation, it requires bringing God back into the equation, rather than continually trying to push him out of the way. Proverbs 3:6 tells us to “put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.” (The Living Bible)

Do you want to be successful? Begin by putting God first.

Next time, we’ll discover some specific ways to put God first in our lives and in our families. The good news is, these principles can be applied by anyone, anytime, anywhere. Until then …

You may read Steve Greene’s blog at pastorgreene.wordpress.com or you can email him at [email protected].