Is God Your Number One Priority?
Good Morning Friends,
If you worry a lot then maybe God is not the highest priority in your life. Think about it for a moment. Peter, when he was walking on water, only began to sink when he took his eyes off of Jesus. So if God is first in your life then that focus will make all the difference in the world.
Really if you trust and believe in God’s ability to make all of existence possible then why worry. Is God Your Number One Priority?
Scripture: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves.
John 14:1-17 (NRSV)
But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33 (NRSV)
you shall have no other gods before me.
Exodus 20:3 (NRSV)
Message: There are so many things that clamor for our attention and devotion: our jobs, our kids, our spouses, our hobbies—the demands and distractions of life. And we have to be careful not to let them become more important or more of a priority than our relationship with God. The key to having an abundant life is keeping God a priority. Part of the goal is to develop a habit of living for God. We can do this by establishing daily habits of prayer, worship and regular, consistent time spent in His Word. In this way we will be less distracted from the Truth. Friends, the benefits of keeping God first are real and can make an impact on every area of our lives. When we decide to serve God with our whole hearts and make Him first in our lives, our souls will prosper and our joy and peace will increase.
Anything can become a god to us—anything we worship or put an excessive amount of time into. Even our feelings can become a god if we allow them to control us. We need to ask ourselves where our priorities really are. Then we can choose a better way. We can make it our goal to have a deep, intimate relationship with God…to let Him into every area of our lives. We can stop constantly looking to other people for answers and validation. So let us all take an honest look at our current priorities. Reflect on our lives right now to consider what factors most determine how we choose to live. Think individually but also culturally. Where are we investing most of our time, money, and energy? Which relationships and activities do we devote ourselves to every day? Where do we currently place God on our list of priorities? If our relationships with God are not a top priority right now, what specific changes do we need to make in our lives to devote ourselves to God first? Friends, the more we try to make our lives better by pursuing our own desires, the more our desires will spin out of control, creating stressful and frustrating chaos for us and those around us. But the more we individually pursue a closer relationship with God above all else, the better we will be able to distinguish between what is truly important and what just seems urgent. Friends, you can worry if you want to, but I for one would rather trust Jesus. When I do I become free to receive more blessings.
Pray we keep our eyes on Jesus. Pray we realize that we do not have to worry because we believe in God. Pray we realize that we do not have to worry because Jesus has prepared a place for us. Pray we realize that we do not have to worry because we can depend on Jesus.
Pray that if we mess up, we not be discouraged and let it hold us back, but confess it and keep going. Pray that God will give us grace to do what we need to do. Pray we not get caught up in constantly needing validation from others. Pray that if we take it one day at a time we, with God together, can live abundant lives.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 