“We must carry out the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.” Jesus, John 9:4

Christ here displays His sense of urgency. Oh, Christian, that we would have this sense of urgency. He was showing us that, in this life, the most important duty in life is to do the Will of the Father. This occupied His entire time on earth. Looking back at the prophets, the same can be said for them. And yet what was the result for those in scripture who put God first and made His work their primary goal? Mockery!

We, as Christians, are quick to affirm the need for Christ in our lives. We KNOW the importance of God’s Work here on earth. Yet, for most of us, we still tend to put God on the back burner and make His Work second to what we perceive as important in our day-to-day lives. How do we prioritize our days, our lives? Here is how we tend to prioritize:

• Need for groceries
• Prayer
• Go to church and gather with other believers
• Pay rent/mortgage
• Work with those in need/Volunteer
• Go to work/Find a job
• Rest

Now for most of us, our prioriies would look something like this:

Prayer > Work/Job > Groceries > Rent/Mortgage > Rest > Church > Volunteer

Some may even put rest at the very beginning! But this is NOT how God designed us nor what He expects of us. It is counterintuitive but we MUST put HIM and HIS WILL first! Scripture tells us that the rest will come if we will have enough faith in Him to do HIS WILL FIRST. What would that actually look like?

Prayer > Volunteer/Help > Prayer > Church > Prayer > Work/Job > Prayer > Groceries > Prayer> Rent/Mortgage > Prayer > Rest >Prayer

What happens if you arrange your priorities in this manner? Truthfully, it takes ALL the WORRY out of life! You realize that God is truly in control. Our problem comes from our unwillingness to relinquish control to God. We SAY we give things to God, but do we really? We are admonished to “Worry about nothing, but pray about everything.” (Philippians 4:6-7). We are told that putting God and His Will first will result in all of our NEEDS being met. (“Seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness, and all these things will be added to you…” Matthew 6:33).

We place such a premium on the concerns, toils and troubles of this life. Yet the true concern should be our eternal life, not this one. Why, then, is it so hard to do so? because we, as fallen humans, are very risk-averse! We want comfort, not discomfort. We seek what makes us feel good in the flesh and then give whatever is left over to God. This is backwards thinking. But it is also popular thinking. We MUST get out of this mindset or we run the risk of life catching up to us before we have matured and grown in His Will.

So, I implore of you, Christian, to truly put God first. Don’t just say it. Talk is cheap and intentions can be fleeting. For your own sake and that of your loved ones, learn to truly put God first and teach others to do so. Preach the Kingdom, and LIVE the Kingdom. That is our mandate. Too tired to get up on Sunday (or Saturday)? Do it anyway. No time to pray? Pray all day! Not enough hours in the week to volunteer or take on a project for God? Do it anyway. Put off the things of THIS WORLD, in favor for the things of GOD’s Kingdom.

~Pastor Brian Wattenbarger