Excerpts, part 3 -- What are the duties required in the first commandment?

As we seek understanding of the undivided devotion God demands in the first commandment, the Westminister Larger Catechism will help us.

The catechism poses the question, 'What are the duties required in the first commandment?' The answer that the writers of the catechism give is so helpful in elaborating the full intent of the commandment that I'll quote it in its entirety (although it's a little lengthy):

The duties required in the first commandment are, the knowing and

acknowledging of God to be the only true God, and our God; and to

worship and glorify him accordingly, by thinking, meditating, rem-

embering, highly esteeming, honoring, adoring, choosing, loving, de-

siring, fearing of him; believing him; trusting, hoping, delighting, rej-

oicing in him; being zealous for him; calling upon him, giving all praise

and thanks, and yielding all obedience and submission to him with the

whole man; being careful in all things to please him, and sorrowful when

in anything he is offended; and walking humbly with him.

Why not go back and reread their answer again? Every one of those verbs is significant and rich with meaning, isn't it? As I read over them, I can plainly see how I fail to know, acknowledge, worship, and glorify God as my only true God. Think with me as I go partially through the list:

• Thinking about God. Do I think of God continually or only infrequently, such as when I want or need something?
• Meditating on God. Do I meditate on His character -- His holiness, His goodness, His love?
• Remembering God. Do I remember Him in everything I do and say, or do I rarely think of Him?
• Esteeming God. Am I highly esteeming Him, or do I highly esteem or value other things?"

--Elyse Fitzpatrick, in Idols of the Heart: Learning to Long for God Alone