Everyday Idols

Monica Portogallo takes a new look at the First Commandment in the light of the Greatest Commandment.

I once considered myself fairly good at adhering to the First Commandment:

I am the LORD your God ... You shall not have other gods beside Me. (Exodus 20:2a, 3)

Sure, I struggled with others of the Ten Commandments, but I knew God and I loved Him. I certainly didn’t worship other gods. Or so I thought.

One day, while discussing priorities in life, including God, an acquaintance of mine told me, “Whomever or whatever you spend the most time on -- talking to or about, thinking about, worrying about, focusing on -- that is your god.”

I don’t know this woman’s religious affiliation, but what she said could be a kind of corollary of Matthew 22:37, what Jesus calls the Greatest Commandment:

You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.

In other words, if you are to love your God with all your mind, heart, and soul, then what you devote your mind, heart, and soul to the most is your god.

Looking at the first commandment in this light, I now see that this may be the commandment many of us, myself included, violate the most.

Over the years, I have let various people, from a popular kid, to a romantic infatuation, to a troubled husband become the focus of my life instead of God.

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I let things like my reputation, my finances, or my fears take over the place in my mind where God rightfully belongs.

I devoted myself to my job and my vocation as a mother, putting aside my relationship with the very God who made the career and child possible.

I realize now that, while none of the things I gave my love and attention to were inherently evil, they put distance between God and me. That distance makes my life more challenging and less joyful in so many big and little ways.

With that in mind, I now devote more attention to seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, knowing all these other things will then be given their proper perspective. Though I certainly have not perfected this, I am taking steps to gradually rid my life of my everyday idols.

If you are to love your God with all your mind, heart, and soul, then what you devote your mind, heart, and soul to the most is your god. #catholicmom