Why mustn't I worship other gods?

If I tell you it’s because the Lord your God says so, you definitely won’t be happy. In fact, you may have a lot of complaints and grievances.

1st Commandment:
“You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3)

If He is so jealous of us worshiping other gods, why doesn’t he banish all other gods from the surface of the earth? Isn’t He, God? Yes, no doubt He is God, but He didn’t make the others become gods. According to him, we were the ones who made them.

2nd Commandment:
“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God…” (Exodus 20:4-5)

In the Bible, God never tells us that there is another God. It’s we humans who make them. God doesn’t have to tell us why we mustn’t worship other gods; it is a commandment to obey without questioning. It is like a king who gives a decree not for us to discuss or to debate but to conform to what it says.

The one thing I notice is that, whatever you worship in your life, the object that you worship would take control of you. If you worship money, money will become your master. If you worship fame, fame will be above you. If you worship power, power will control you. If you make for yourself an ‘idol’ to worship, the idol will overpower you. If you worship God, He will empower you. If you worship yourself, you’ll find that nothing can satisfy you.

Think about it again. Who do you want to have power over you? If God is the one whom you worship, He will be able to guide you and lead you to all His promises for you. Amen.