In a mask

"You shall have no other gods before me."Exodus 20:3.

This is a serious commandment. The full quotation states,

"You shall have no other gods before me. 

"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.  

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, but showing love to a thousand  generations  of those who love me and keep my commandments. Exodus 20:3-6.

By my way of thinking anything you put before God is an idol. 

Here in North America we have many idols, money consumer goods, materialism in general are obvious ones. But there is one other that most don’t really think about and that is rights and freedoms.

As this covid crisis has shown, tens of thousands here in North America who disagree with their government on covid do so because they feel their rights and freedoms are being restricted. Many of those protesting call themselves Christian. Yet nowhere in the Bible does God guarantee our rights and freedoms.

We only have to look at the life of the apostle Paul to see that. He was put in prison, and stoned among other things. 

But Paul was not put in prison or stoned for protesting his rights and freedoms. For the most part Paul obeyed the laws of Rome. Paul was put in prison because of what he was preaching, the Gospel of Christ Jesus.

Pauls focus was always on the job given to him by Christ, presenting the saving grace of God that comes through Christ Jesus. 

We as believers in Christ Jesus would do well to remember this. 

While our rights and freedoms are good to have, it is important to remember we should not put them ahead of God.

If we are to tell the world about Christ Jesus it is important we focus on what God would have us to do and if necessary do it in a mask, socially distanced. 

Please think about it.