You must not have any other god but me. (NLT)

This verse is straightforward: it's the first of the Ten Commandments given to God’s people through Moses after their rescue from Egypt. It addresses not only the multitude of deities the Israelites encountered in Egypt and during their journey but also the tendency to elevate other things in our lives to a status that belongs solely to God. This could include sports, work, hobbies, money, or anything else that distracts us from our relationship with him.

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In chapter 4 of The Party Crasher, author Joshua Ryan Butler introduces the concept of ten “Political Commandments.” His church used this approach to weave biblical principles into their congregation's understanding of political engagement. With a playful nod to the original Ten Commandments, Butler presents ten unifying ideas rooted in Scripture, aiming to help us understand our position in God’s Kingdom. His goal isn't to influence our opinions or voting choices, but to encourage us to refine our character in political discussions. These commitments serve as a biblical lens for our speech, attitudes, and actions towards others, regardless of their political views, and to help us navigate the often-heated rhetoric surrounding political topics.

Over the next ten days, the daily devotions are going to review each of these ten principles in detail, but I wanted to speak to the overall approach. As we see throughout the New Testament, we are called to be IN this world, but not OF this world. Two verses in particular come to mind:

Philippians 3:20: ”But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.”

Romans 12:2: ”Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

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So how do we live in the world but not be of it? If you are like me, this is a real challenge. I tend to compartmentalize aspects of my life to keep things neat, orderly, and easier to manage. I have work, I have hobbies, and I have my activities at church. The problem that develops when I take this approach is letting the “separation” between these compartments become impenetrable: reducing or preventing attitudes, learnings, or engagement styles from one compartment to intrude on others. My mechanism for keeping my life orderly can be hugely detrimental. Bringing it back to our topic at hand, politics can become its own compartment, too. The author is challenging me to not allow this compartmentalization to prevent the biblical principles I firmly believe and espouse from entering my political engagement with other people. (Ouch! That one hurts!)  

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If I’m not careful, I am letting my compartmentalization become an “other God but me,” as the verse at the top warns us to avoid. Do you struggle with this too? This is why I need to read this book and am finding its teachings so challenging. If you are like me in this, I believe that you can benefit from going on this journey of discovery with us, as well.  

Dear God, I pray that my compartment walls will become porous, if not disappear completely. What I built to be a defense mechanism to keep my life organized can actually take my eyes off of you and your Kingdom. Please remind me daily that I am in this world but not of this world. I am a child of the Kingdom of God and should fix my eyes on you at all times. Thank you for the amazing gift you have given me and help me live as a Kingdom-dweller in anticipation of your coming return. In Jesus’ holy name, Amen.