Be Reprioritized

In Matthew 6:33, a very familiar verse, the Word tells us to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and everything else will be added to us. The key word in this verse is “first.”   Many times the reason why things are out of sync in our lives is because we don’t always put the Lord first. 

In an age where there are so many convenient opportunities to distract us from seeking the Lord it has to be an intentional desire for the Lord to be our priority and not our option.  Over time we found ourselves making so many excuses as to why we don’t seek the Lord first when waking up in the mornings, seek Him first before making decisions, serve Him first in our finances, and in so many other areas.  Often times we found ourselves consulting after the counsel of our emotions rather than the counsel of God. 

Countless mechanisms are used to keep us out of balance.  For instance, it seems to be easy to spend two hours in a mall or watching a TV show or game, but those same two hours can become frustrating while in service. Why is that the case? Could it be because our priorities are out of order?  Why does it seem easier to spend $50 on clothes and shoes we may not need but find it hard to give to the work of the Lord in that same amount without complaining or even saying ‘all the church wants is our money’?

I heard and received a Word of teaching through a wise man a couple of weeks ago, and the Lord used him to say, “Whatever you serve determines what you worship, and what you do first has authority over your life.”  Anything or anyone we put before God has the potential to be our idol, even if it’s ourselves.

So what keeps us from prioritizing effectively? Let’s ponder on a couple of reasons. The first one is fear.  We get nervous when it comes to responsibility, and that, many times, is the reason why we tend to view God as only an option.   We’ve recognized that we are responsible for the Truth we hear and read, so to ignore the responsibility altogether, we isolate ourselves from the Truth.

Another one is because of a lack of commitment.  Priorities are an indicator of what is important to us, from greatest to least. What we do first becomes what we are passionate about, and what we do last is what can wait later.  Although our commitment is not as consistent as it should we must aim to stick and stay regardless.  It’s unfair to put God first when we’re going through a storm and put Him last when all seems to be going quite well.  Commitment is not a seasonal thing; it’s a trust thing.

Can you see any areas in your life where you’ve put God on the backburner, where you’ve given Him your leftovers or pushed for Him only when it was convenient? Let’s make a decision that we will put God first again, back where He belongs in our lives.  Selah.