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Putting God First

by Jerry Ousley  
12/09/2011 / Christian Living

What do we put first in our lives? Its funny what our real answer might be if we deeply examine ourselves. For instance we like our homes to be well decorated, nice and comfy. We like our big screen TVs, or sound systems and so forth. But if our house were suddenly burning to the ground we would completely rethink what we'd save first. Hopefully our family members would come first.

I love to eat. Up until now I've eaten pretty much anything I wanted to. But the other day the doctor told me that my cholesterol was high and that I was going to have to get it down. She defined what I could eat to "pretty much anything that is good." What? I think that most food is good! Now I find myself actually reading the labels on packages and boxes. I'm looking for food with low cholesterol content or better yet, no cholesterol content. I haven't given up on the stuff I like completely mind you, but I am trying to eat in moderation which is a new thing for me! But in my diet things have shifted as to what comes first.

In putting people, places and things in order Jesus knew who and what to put first. We read in John 2:23-25, "Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man." In other words He didn't require recognition or reputation. He knew what was in the heart of mankind and did not require their approval. He knew that God the Father must come first. What God instructed Him to do was the most important thing.

In putting God first there are three aspects we need to consider. First of all we put God first in our trust. Our Lord never put His trust in any person. Yet He was never suspicious, never bitter, and never lost hope for anyone because He put His trust in God first. He trusted absolutely in what God's grace could do for others.

We too should trust God first. People will let us down. If we put our trust in human beings first then the end result will be our despair and hopeless feelings towards other people. We will become bitter because we have insisted that people be what no person can ever be Absolutely perfect and right. We shouldn't put our trust in anything else, completely in other people and never in ourselves. Of course we have to have some trust in ourselves and other people or we'd never get anything done. But our first trust must be in God.

Then we must put God's will first. Often our obedience is to what we see to be a need; but our Lord's obedience was to the will of His Father. In our zeal we often cry out, "We must get to work! The lost are dying without God. We must go and tell them about Him." Without doubt this is a very noble and admirable attitude to have. But we must first make sure that God's "needs" and His will in us are personally being met. The purpose of our Christian training should be to get us into a right relationship to the needs of God and His will. Once that is accomplished in us then He will open the way for us to fulfill His will and meet His needs elsewhere.

Finally God's Son must be first. Jesus said in Matthew 18:5, "Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me." He came as a baby giving and entrusting Himself to us. He expects our personal life to become a "Bethlehem." Are we allowing our natural life to be slowly transformed by the indwelling life of the Son of God? One of God's purposes is that His Son might be exhibited in us. When we really put Jesus first in our lives things begin to change: Our purpose is changed from "What I Want" to "God what do You really want?" We aren't looking for what we can get away with but rather how close we can get to God. We truly begin looking to God as our source of supply for our own needs. We also become aware of the needs of others around us and we start operating in compassion. We want to share with others what God has done in our own lives, not in a bragging sense, but to prove to them that God can do the same in their lives. Who and what are you putting first?

Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.? Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.

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