DOING WHAT’S FIRST FIRST

God wants us to be steadfast through difficulties, setbacks, and attacks from the enemy. And He will strengthen and fortify us through it all when we put first things first.

Jesus said in Matt. 6:33 “He will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern”.

What is your “primary concern” in life?
We can make many things our primary concern, other than the Kingdom of God, and no matter how hard we try and work, it seems we can’t get ahead or we are not inwardly satisfied or content, and we live in a state of frustration and pessimism. Why is that? It’s because we’re not trusting God and what He said.

Isa. 26:3 says, You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you.

TO HELP US DO WHAT'S FIRST FIRST
REMEMBER 3 THINGS:

• We can’t take from God and profit from it.

God says in Psa. 50:12 “All the world is mine and everything in it”.

If our priorities become confused and we start putting money ahead of God, then God doesn’t lose; we do. If we try to make more time for ourselves and give less to God, we will lose time. If we try to make more money for ourselves and give less to God, we will lose money. If we try to get more energy for ourselves for what we want to do and give less energy to serving God, we will lose energy. Nobody can take from God and profit from it.

• Give the first of what we have to the Lord.

Prov. 3:9 Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best.

Honor God and He will bless you. We are to give the first part of our income to Him, the first day of the week to Him, the first part of our day to Him. We should use the first day of the week to the glory of God. A lot of Christians have killed their joy, their witness, and their spiritual power by turning Sunday into an ordinary day and not putting Christ first in their week.

• Stay faithful.

When we connect the dots from the following verses we see that we are “managers” of all that God entrusts to us.

Col. 1:16 For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, - everything got started in him (Christ) and finds its purpose in him.
1 Cor. 4:2 It is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.
Rom. 14:12 Each of us will give an account of himself to God.

The place to begin is our relationship with God. We must be faithful to Him. That’s what matters. If we’re faithful to Him in our personal lives then we’ll be faithful to His church and His work.