PUT GOD FIRST
PUT GOD FIRST
Is God your first point of call or is He your back up plan?
When you purchase a device, the box usually advises the user to read the manual or instructions before operating the device, some people do, but most people do not. They start operating the device without paying any mind to the manual, then when problems are encountered, they rush to the manual looking for solutions. Most times, some damage may have already been done to the device, and repairs that could have been easily avoided in the first place have to be made. That has been true for me more times than I can count. The above illustration is what life could be like when we do not put God first, for no one knows the creation more than the creator.
What does it mean to put God first? The Bible says in Matthew 6:33 (King James Version)“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” The verse didn’t say to seek ye second, third or last, it says seek ye first. To put God first means to put Him at the forefront of our lives and in whatever we do. It means doing God’s will and keeping his commandments. It means running to God first at all times, whether good times or difficult times.
It is important for God to be first in our lives, because He is the one that created us, He gives us direction, guidance and discernment. Everything we need is found in Him. We should not see God as a “last resort” or “when all else fails” remedy. Nothing is too big or too insignificant for God to handle. Proverbs 3:5 – 6(New International Version)says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” We should acknowledge God in all our ways, not some, not the big ones, but ALL our ways, when we do so, he will make our paths straight.
As humans our pride is innate and we tend to have this “I’ll figure it out myself” approach to life and “lean on our own understanding”, so we forget about God, and only run to him when we face difficulties. How can I put God first you may ask? You can, by simply trusting in him, by seeking the things of His Kingdom over the things of the world, by communicating with God in prayer. We have access to God, He is our father. Till today, I run many things by my parents just to get their opinion. Now imagine running everything by God! God, an all-sufficient God, who knows the beginning from the end, we should learn to tell him what is in our hearts.
There are many people in the Bible who put God first in their lives, I want to consider Hannah, the Mother of Samuel and Jesus, the Son of God. Hannah had no children for a long time, she desperately prayed to God for a child and vowed that she will give the child back to God all the days of his life. When God blessed her with a son, after weaning him she dedicated him back to God. Hannah said in 1 Samuel 1:27-28 (New International Version) “I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” Hannah didn’t forget her vow, after God answered her prayers. Jesus also put God first even up until his crucifixion, when He was about to be betrayed, He went with his disciples to Gethsemane. Matthew 26:39(New International Version)says “He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Jesus knew the pain and suffering that He was about to experience, and even though He wanted the “cup” to pass over him, he literally put God first by praying that God’s will be done, not His.
God knows the beginning from the end (Isaiah 46:10), by putting God first we are surrendering all to him and giving full control of our lives. I urge us today to put God first and seek His Kingdom first.
IfeOluwaJaiyesimi ©
The Revolutionary Righter ©