| "It means to only have one God, which is God. When | | | | don't worship money and the things that can take |
| we find something, we don't go gaga over it. We still | | | | over your life," adds Will, 9.It's the love of money |
| pray to God and not to the new thing," says Ashley, | | | | that is the root of many kinds of evil, the Apostle |
| 11.For a fuller understanding of "gaga," let's go to | | | | Paul wrote. There's nothing inherently evil about |
| Cory, 11: "When the commandment says to have no | | | | money, but loving it will lead you into many forms of |
| other gods 'before Me,' it means to love something | | | | evil. When the love of it takes over, everything is |
| more than God."Lee, 8, gets specific: "You should | | | | seen through the eyes of money.My good friend |
| worship God instead of your bike, Nintendo, | | | | Tony Carnes has written a book on idolatry. He's an |
| computer or TV. You should read the Bible more."The | | | | accomplished author and scholar. I've asked him to |
| average American watches more than four hours of | | | | share a few thoughts. Here's Tony:"An idol is anything |
| television a day. Lee, do you mean I shouldn't veg | | | | or anyone other than God that we allow to drive our |
| out in front of the tube for 28 hours a week? After | | | | lives. Take that popular idolatry, money or wealth. |
| all, I don't actually worship. I spend at least two hours | | | | God cherishes every human being, but when you put |
| a week in church on Sunday. Does God want | | | | making money before God, you redivide your world |
| more?Yes, says Haley, 11: "The first commandment | | | | so that some people get pushed aside. You gravitate |
| means don't spend more time on anything than God. | | | | toward friendships with people who have money and |
| God is more important than TV or radio."The first | | | | avoid 'the losers' -- the working class, the poor and |
| commandment is starting to get too personal. | | | | the unemployed."Kids know quickly when an idol is |
| Lynden, 9, illustrates: "It means like not to say, 'Um, | | | | controlling you. Parents and relatives are the sunshine |
| sorry, Jesus. My friends are coming over in about 10 | | | | of their lives. When your idol directs your life's light |
| minutes.' I don't spend time with him in those 10 | | | | away from them, they immediately notice and start |
| minutes."Even in a fast-paced world, we always seem | | | | to wilt."Idols, ancient or modern, always result in |
| to make time for important relationships. For | | | | frustration, dissolution and ultimately despair. People |
| example, people who have good marriages order | | | | and things can never fill the longing God put in our |
| their lives so that they spend time with each other. | | | | heart for an intimate love relationship with him and |
| To put it simply, God wants to be our first love."God | | | | true community with his people as they gather under |
| is kind of jealous and also the one and only true | | | | his headship.Think about this: If God isn't our first |
| God," says Amber, 12. When God is jealous, it's a | | | | love, life will become an endless scramble to fill the |
| good kind of jealousy. We usually think of jealousy as | | | | emptiness we sense.Memorize this truth: "You shall |
| being small and petty. God's jealousy is big and | | | | have no other gods before Me" (Deuteronomy |
| benevolent. He wants our whole heart because only | | | | 5:7).Ask this question: Is there anything or anyone in |
| his love can bring us into a deeper, larger place where | | | | your life whom you love more than God?Carey |
| he is our all in all."The first commandment means | | | | Kinsolving is a syndicated columnist, producer, author, |
| having no god but Jesus. For example, a lot of people | | | | speaker and website developer. |
| mistake money for a god," says Chris, 10. "It means | | | | |