Who’s First
Understanding the Foundation of Freedom 🧭
Freedom without direction doesn’t lead to peace—it leads to chaos. ⚠️ That truth explains why God gave the Ten Commandments in the first place. They weren’t meant to restrict people who were finally free; they were meant to guide people who had lived without freedom for generations.
After more than 400 years of slavery, the Israelites didn’t just need rescue—they needed re-formation. 🛠️ Freedom was new territory, and God knew that freedom without structure would quickly collapse into confusion.
Why Were the Ten Commandments Given? 📜
Before God gave a single command, He reminded Israel of something crucial:
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” (Exodus 20:2)
The commandments were not written for people trying to earn God’s love. They were written for people who had already been rescued. 🕊️ That distinction still matters today.
God didn’t say, “Obey me so I’ll save you.”
He said, “I saved you—now let me show you how to live free.”
Freedom vs. Knowing How to Live Free 🔓➡️🚶
Being set free and knowing how to live free are not the same thing.
Israel had lived under control, limits, and oppression for centuries. Slavery shaped how they thought, trusted, and survived. So when God led them out, He didn’t abandon them to figure life out on their own. He taught them how freedom actually works.
That mirrors our spiritual journey. When we come to Christ, forgiveness happens instantly. Freedom is given immediately. 🙌 But learning how to live in that freedom—breaking old habits, unlearning lies, healing trauma, and forming new rhythms—takes time.
Freedom is a gift.
Maturity is a process. 🌱
What Makes Something a “God”? 👑
The first commandment says, “You must not have any other gods before me.” That raises a practical question: what counts as a god?
A god is whatever gets first place in your life. It’s what you trust most, what you run to first when you’re stressed, what you fear losing the most, or what shapes your decisions more than anything else.
For some, it’s money or success 💼
For others, it’s control, comfort, approval, or security 🛋️
And for many across every generation, it’s the phone 📱
Technology isn’t evil—but anything becomes a god when it gets first access to your attention, emotions, and trust.
Modern Idols Aren’t Bad Things—They’re Overloaded Things ⚖️
Family, work, achievement, relationships, and even ministry are not sinful. But when they’re placed where only God belongs, they start collapsing under weight they were never designed to carry.
Good things make terrible gods.
When something other than God holds first place, it begins shaping how you think, feel, and define yourself. And eventually, it starts demanding more than it can give.
God Starts With Relationship, Not Rules ❤️📖
Notice where God begins:
“I am the Lord your God.”
Before instruction comes identity.
Before behavior comes belonging.
God doesn’t open with demands. He opens with relationship. He establishes who He is and who they are to Him before asking anything of them.
Religion often flips this order. It teaches obedience first, relationship later. But God has always worked the opposite way.
You don’t obey to belong.
You obey because you belong. 🤍
Belonging Before Behavior Changes Everything 🔄
Israel didn’t become God’s people by keeping the commandments. They received the commandments because they already were God’s people.
That truth is life-changing for anyone who grew up believing love was conditional, performance-based, or easily withdrawn. God’s love is not earned—it’s received. Obedience becomes a response to love, not a requirement for it.
Identity Comes Before Instruction 🧠➡️📘
God reminds Israel they are no longer slaves before teaching them how to live. That matters, especially for those shaped by trauma, instability, or broken authority.
When safety has been broken, rules feel like control. Obedience feels dangerous. But God’s commands are not about domination—they’re about restoration. 🩹 They rebuild trust slowly and gently, not through fear, but through faithfulness.
Learning to Trust God’s Authority 🤝
God’s authority is unlike human authority. He doesn’t exploit weakness—He heals it. He doesn’t shame people into compliance—He shapes hearts over time.
Learning obedience isn’t about trying harder. It’s about learning that you’re finally safe enough to trust.
That trust grows as we discover that correction isn’t rejection, obedience won’t cost us belonging, and God’s boundaries exist to protect freedom, not restrict it. 🛡️
The Quiet Danger of Drift 🌊
Most people don’t reject God outright. They drift.
Other voices get louder. Other demands feel more urgent. God slowly moves from first place to occasional consultation.
Drift doesn’t require rebellion—only neglect.
And when God stops being first, something else will immediately step in to fill that space. Those substitutes may feel helpful for a season, but they were never meant to carry the weight of your life.
Why First Place Matters 🥇
Whatever gets first place eventually shapes you.
When God is first, everything else finds its proper place.
When He’s not, even good things become burdens.
The first commandment isn’t about limitation—it’s about alignment. It’s about protecting your freedom by keeping your heart anchored to the only One strong enough to hold it. ⚓
Life Application 📝
This week, take an honest look at what truly has first place in your life.
Pay attention to:
What you reach for first when you’re stressed 😰
What gets your attention first in the morning 🌅
What you turn to for comfort, direction, or identity
Then make a clear, intentional decision to put God back in first place—not someday, not symbolically, but now.
That might mean reclaiming time with His Word 📖, rebuilding prayer rhythms 🙏, or letting Him reshape priorities—not just beliefs.
Ask yourself:
What do I turn to first when I feel overwhelmed?
Am I living to earn God’s love, or from the security of already having it?
What would need to change for God to genuinely be first in my daily life?
Remember, the goal isn’t perfection—it’s realignment. God isn’t asking you to fix yourself before coming to Him. He’s inviting you into relationship now.
Freedom has already been given.
Living free happens one surrendered decision at a time. ✨
(New Living Translation Bible, 1996)
(New King James Version, 1975)