"You shall have no other gods before me," so says the first commandment in Exodus 20. God comes first in our lives. Nothing is to replace Him in importance and with our affections. This includes money, health, hobbies, even family. But does that mean my hobbies, my job, my relationships have become an idol? Not if we truly put God first and enjoy life as He has designed.

For instance, here are three examples in my own life: Fishing, fitness, and family. I enjoy all three, but can I enjoy them without worshiping them? Or, could I indeed be guilty of worshiping them at times? These could become idols for any of us if they become more important to us than God and become the supreme object of our devotion and affection. But it doesn't have to be either/or. We can enjoy such things and still worship God, above all. In fact, we get the greatest enjoyment from life when we bow the knee continually to God as our sovereign Creator.

1 Timothy 4:4-5 tells us, "For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer." When God created all things, he declared them good. He also made them all for our benefit to enjoy. Through sin, our priorities and affections get askew, and we can make idols out of anything. But know this: everything created by God is good if stewarded correctly in his loving care. So, let's look closer at the three examples.

Fishing. When you fish (or hunt, or camp, or pretty much anything outdoors) take the time to recognize the beauty of creation. I'm always amazed at the endless stream of water coming from somewhere higher up in the mountains, continuously flowing until it reaches the oceans. God did that. That's His design. When I pull a wild cutthroat trout from the water, I marvel at the design by which a fish can breathe and take in oxygen underwater. God did that. That's His design. He is praised and worshiped in the moment. This can be true of any hobby. Do you like to work on cars? Marvel at the knowledge, creativity, and skill God has given to people to create these intricate machines that are beautiful, useful, and fun. God did that. Enjoy.

Fitness. We live in a time where youth, fitness, and beauty are worshiped in our culture. The problem is, not everyone is young, not everyone is fit, and not everyone is beautiful! Yet many chase these three as the god who will grant a long life and happiness. Not so.

To the world, the body is it. There is more focus on diet, health, fitness, youth, and beauty than at any other time in history. The message is that you must be healthy, fit, young and beautiful, or you are of no value. Unfortunately, from some segments of Christian culture, we are told that only the spiritual is important, and we should not be concerned with the physical and material. God isn't concerned with my body, He's concerned with my heart. Both are wrong.

God cares about your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." And, our very lives are to be and act of worship, in our bodies: Roman 12:1 "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship."

I see fitness as stewardship of my body, redeemed by God, for His purpose. I want to live long and well for His purpose, for His glory. We all have a stewardship responsibility because we only get one body. Take care of it well until He calls you home.

Family. Family is important. The Scriptures are abundantly clear on the priority of family above other pursuits in life. But even Jesus said we are to love Him above our family members (Luke 14:26). He knew that statement would be controversial and would sting because people naturally and usually love mom and dad, brothers, and sisters. Loving God more than family can be a bit tricky because love is often an intense emotion.

In our marriage, we seek to reflect the Gospel. I am to love my wife as Christ loved the Church, and gave Himself for her. But that love is to portray His love for us: "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church" (Ephesians 5:31-32). That's a high calling, but I'm always conscious of the fact that I will love my wife best when I love Christ the most. If any family member supplants Christ as the ultimate object of our love, then we end up loving them less than we could have otherwise.

Here are three truths to keep in mind to enjoy life without becoming an idolator.

1. God owns it all.

Everything you possess is a stewardship from God—finances, relationships, time, hobbies, your body, etc.—all of these are given by God for your enjoyment and for His glory. Manage them well in the awareness that they are His.

2. Check your heart.

Jesus said, "Where your heart is, there will your treasure be also." And I would say that our minds and bodies go where our hearts go. So it is an incorrect reading to say that all Jesus cares about are our intentions. He cares that we follow through on what's important. How we live truly demonstrates where our heart is.

3. Never neglect corporate worship.

If any of these good things replace our divinely mandated duty to worship with God's people, then we have gotten off track. No, that doesn't mean there is never a time we don't go to church because of some family event. But it does mean that our family life is characterized by a shared devotion to the worship of God.

Recognize that all of life is worship. God has given us our family, our money, our hobbies, our bodies—all to manage and enjoy to His glory. All of life is worship, and God has given us the pleasures of life to enjoy.

One last thing. God delights in your enjoyment of the things He has created. A dad is running beside his 5-year-old daughter on a purple bike while she furiously pumps the pedals, balances herself, and rides for the first time without the assistance of the training wheels. She squeals with delight, "Daddy, look at me, I'm doing it, I'm doing it." One might think all the joy is her's, but the girl's delight is her father's joy. So it is with us. When we enjoy the things of this world, as gifts from the Father, whom we worship above all, then our joy is His joy. It is worship.