In the final scene of the movie, the leading man—eyes brimming with tears—summarized his life to his girlfriend: no friends, no job, and a shady past. He had no family ties, no apparent faith in God. He really had only one thing—the love of his favorite girl, and he vowed lifelong devotion to her. To make her happy, he had refrained from violence, remained monogamous, and had stopped using certain unsavory words. Everything he did and planned to do revolved around the beautiful starlet he’d fallen for.

This scenario shows how relationships can become idols. When God said, “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind” (Exodus 20:4, emphasis added), He was warning us not to let anything come between us and Him. Sadly, sometimes the pursuit of romance eclipses our love for God.

During Ezekiel’s life, the Israelites struggled with idolatry. God gave His prophet a message for some of His people’s leaders. He said, “[They] have set up idols in their hearts” (Ezekiel 14:3). In God’s eyes, idolatry wasn’t just about creating and bowing down to wooden figures. It was a heart condition—a misdirection of their devotion to Him.

God’s message continued, “They have embraced things that will make them fall into sin” (Ezekiel 14:3). Anything that leads us away from God will lead us into sin. If a relationship becomes an idol, however, there’s an added danger. We can be tempted to compromise our purity—a sin against God and ourselves (1 Corinthians 6:18-19).

Our God desires and deserves to be first in our hearts. When we truly grasp His love for us, we’re not as tempted to give the best of ourselves to a significant “other” and hope that God is satisfied with the leftovers.

NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Acts 20:13-38