If you were raised Catholic or Christian, you might think of the first commandment, “Though shall have no other Gods before me” is easy enough if you avoid praying and worshiping other gods. Like me, if your belief system did not involve pagans and you committed to the one true God, you felt you had this commandment nailed down. In my personal journey, I found out something else….. What if putting others ahead of ourselves and the other person abuses us? What if a putting an abuser we love first could be really a lie from our soul, and if we betray our soul what have we done with our relationship to God? I am a devout believer. I came from belief system that in order to be closer to God we should behave as Jesus did and put others ahead of ourselves. If you are a people pleaser I encourage you to ask yourself when you please someone else do you compromise your integrity? Especially if that person is abusive? I am NOT saying to root yourself in your own sense of right in an argument or to risk your personal safety if you are being physically abused. But if you are like I was, you might find that you seek peace so much, especially if you are trying to avoid abusive treatment that in doing so you may be betraying your true self, and just maybe give another too much power over you…..if we give another too much power over ourselves when we should be in an intimate relationship with God, then this may be a form of idolatry.
1 John, 5:3
For This is the Love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
– 1 John, 5:3