Hardest Of The Ten

Of all Commandments, love of God is first;
It leads the list and is most paramount;
Putting some god ahead of Him is worse
Than offending on ev'ry other count!
The truth of the Bible you must not doubt,
For its author and preserver is God;
None of its claims may you concede to flout,
If His narrow path you intend to trod!
Family; hobby; pleasure; or good friend;
None must your attention ever demand;
When God needs you His own Kingdom attend,
Or to serve according to Christ's command!
To love the Lord your God with all your heart,
Is the hardest of the Ten on your part!

To love God as He wants you to love Him, nothing else in life may be allowed to come before Him. There are many diversions and activities in the world that attract us and demand great portions of our time and resources. Golf became an obsession in my life after I retired. It may have taken so much of my time, energy, and commitment that reporting regularly to the first tee almost every day may have interfered with my daily devotion time with God. That made golf a sin. Nothing at all can become more important to us than God. This is the First and most important Commandment.

"While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside waiting to speak to him. Someone told him, 'Your mother and brothers are standing outside, waiting to speak to you.' He replied to him, 'Who is my mother and my brothers?' Pointing to his disciples, he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers.'" (Matthew 12:46-49)

The Catholic Church has a very different belief about Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus, than Protestants. They believe that Mary remained a virgin all her life, and that Jesus had no brothers(or half-brothers). That belief is refuted by the scripture. At any rate, the passage demonstrates that Jesus placed the work of God above the importance of family. This is very difficult for us to do, but it is a Commandment, and there is no loophole around it. Also, marriage won't exist in heaven. Death parts a man from his wife.

Many people have the mistaken belief that different religions lead to heaven---that Muslims, whose god is Allah, will be saved because of their sincerity. This is a mistaken belief; there is only one God, and He is Jesus Christ; believers in other gods will not be allowed in heaven.