Today I’m going to talk about an important principle in the Word of God, the principle that God should always be first in our lives! You must understand this principle!
Is God first in your life?
Can you say without hesitation that God is first in your life? Is God part of your daily agenda? Is God first in your finances (when you receive your salary)?
Being a Christian does not work out right if God is put on the side lines in your life.
What comes into your mind when you hear the word “first”?
How do you describe it?
Today we are going to learn what we should put first in our lives.
Let us learn it from the Bible.
Please let us open our Bible in the book of John 1:1-3
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. John 1:1-3
What does the word “begin” mean?
It means to perform or undergo the first part of an action or activity. Similar words: Start, initiate, inaugurate, commence etc.
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. Psalms 143:8
This must be done everyday when we wake up in the morning, we must ask our lovely God for His word and His unfailing love, we must put our trust in Him, asking him which way we should go. We must put our trust in God.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:33-34
What does it mean to put God first?
It means:
1- Priority and Passion.
2- To give value above everything else.
3- Time and resources.
4 – Opportunity.
5 – Trust.
6 – Love.
Never meet anyone else before meeting with God first, if your take time to acknowledge God, say, Lord I need you today, keep me on the right path, guide me, equip me, if you rely on Jesus, He will assist you. That’s dependence.
You can make your ordinary life an extraordinary life if you do everything with Jesus and for Jesus, raise your kids for God, live your married life with Jesus…
Three things occur when we put God first
1- We honour Him ! – it brings honour to God, and He is worthy of honour!
2 – It unlocks blessings upon our lives.
When you receive your salary, please set apart what belongs to God because He has to be the first in our finances. When you put Him first in your finances He will unlock blessings upon your life.
3 – It shows your faith !
If you want to put God first in your life you must have faith, please let us open our Bible in Hebrews 11:6
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him”. Hebrews 11:6
The Bible says that without Faith it is impossible to please God! It’s not only difficult, it’s impossible to please Him with no faith. Putting God first is a demonstration of Faith.
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this. Psalms 37:4-5
This verse is telling us to take delight in the Lord, if we do this, God will give us the desires of our heart. Also says we must commit our way to God and trust in him and He will work on our behalf.
Examples
I will give you my own testimony, 10 years ago I used to live in St. Patrick’s Accommodation Centre, I lived there for 5 years. At the time asylum seekers were not allowed to work, we were only allowed to study up to level 4 and we couldn’t go any further. To make things worse my family and I received a deportation letter to leave the country.
That was a really tough time, but even then, we chose to put God first in our lives. So He worked on our behalves on his own time and things started turning around, our deportation was cancelled; we were granted leave to remain in the country.
Do you know why?
I believe that these doors were only opened because we put God first in our lives. If God did it for us, He can do it for you too.
Just put God first in your life, He has not favouritism.
Today I am volunteering as a Family Support Worker at Teach Na nDaoine Family Recourse Centre, helping, assisting, supporting and advocating on behalf of the Asylum Seekers and Migrants in County Monaghan.
Let me tell you something, all these doors did not open for me because I am intelligent or so qualified, but it was because I put God first in everything I have and I do. Because I’m a servant of Jesus Christ He has been using me as his instrument; without Him I would be nothing, that’s why I continue to ask Him every day to use me as his instrument.
Please let us open our Bible on the book Proverbs 8:17
I love those who love me, and those who seek me will find me. Proverbs 8:17
Here God is saying He loves those who love him, and those who seek Him will find Him.
Brothers and sister, let us love our lovely God with all our hearts and strength, and if we do that we will find him. My dears, let us be employees of the King of kings, Lord of Lords, He is the almighty God above everything else, His name is Jesus Christ. That’s so amazing; isn’t it?
It’s a great privilege to be his employee. Say to your neighbour, you are an ambassador of Jesus Christ; Let’s say altogether, we are ambassadors of Jesus Christ! Amen!
We are working on his behalf, representing him wherever we are, in whatever we do. That’s the key to great success in our lives.
Conclusion
Every person has something that comes first in their lives. You have something that takes priority in your life, I don’t know what is it. It might be a person, it might be a place, it might be a job, it might be a pleasure, it might be the desire to make a lot of money. Every person has something that takes up the first place.
How do we know it is first? Well, based on our actions. Whatever is first in our lives really affects how we live.
Many people say that God has the first place in their lives. Many Christians will say that God is a priority, but their lives tell a different story.
Putting God first means that we keep the greatest commandment : “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’” Mark 12:30
In other words, when we love God we invest in our relationship with Him. Everything we have and everything we are is devoted to Him. We hold nothing back.
Many people talk about loving God, and they say it with words but their lives tell a very different story.
“We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments.” 1 John 5:2
I can say to my wife that I love her but words means nothing if I don’t show my love in practical ways. My words should match my actions. And because I love her, I help her in her needs, I clean the house, I do the shopping and I invest money in her life, I wake up earlier for her and also I make sacrifices for her. Why? Because I love her.
When it comes to God, sometimes our words don’t match our actions and what we believe in.
1- To prioritise God and His kingdom all the time.
2- To value God above everything else.
3- To spend more and more time seeking God first and His kingdom.
4 – To let God lead and direct us always.
5 – To trust God more and more no matter the situation we are going through.
6 – To love God more and more with all our heart and all our strength.
Challenges and recommendations
1 – To study the Bible everyday at least twice, when you get up and before you go to bed.
2 – To encourage more and more one another to put God first in our lives.
3 – To pray more and more for one another.
4 – To support more and more each other to expand the Gospel and to reach the lost.
5 – To love more and more each other
6 – To forgive more and more each other.
7- To make all efforts to take part in all Church meetings: Mornings prayer meetings, Saturday Bible study, Cell Meetings, Conquerors’ School and Sunday Services.
When you come to the meetings you are putting God first and He deserves our best and He will reward you!
May the Lord Christ Jesus bless and keep you forevermore.