How much you value the time spent with God and how relevant His Word and guidance is to you reveals how much you honor and value His person. Making God our priority and putting Him first every morning before anything else sometimes sounds like a religious routine but this is very far from the truth, considering that it shows how much we honor Him and know that without Him, we are nothing and can achieve nothing.
Proverbs 8:17
” Those that seek me early shall find me”
Quite a lot of things are capable of distracting us if we allow them but a constant reminder for any child of God should be such that makes one settle it in one’s heart. “Nothing else is worth taking first place in my life but God.” Jesus knew this too well and ensured He started His day with the Father, not minding the several number of people who would always come early seeking for miracles, healing or simply to sit at His feet to hear the Word. He always made sure that the Father came first prior to His appearance before any man. No wonder He was able to finish well and strong. He understood what it means to seek the One who matters most first.
Matthew 6:33
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
It is funny how we make excuses as to why we cannot begin the day with God. I struggle with the same thing from time to time, depending on where I find myself at every point in time especially when it comes to being in a new location on a mission trip. My excuse is always as a result of the schedule of activities at the mission base wherever I find myself, some times the day begins so early that you have to grumble out of bed and join a corporate spiritual exercise with other members. Understanding that Jesus did not allow ministry get in the way of His relationship with God has really helped me get out of this unacceptable excuse.
Mark 1:35
“Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.”
I also learnt from one of the most inspiring women of faith who is not just a successful career woman, media personality, mother and minister of the Gospel but also a writer that in spite of her busy schedule, she once shared how God demanded of her to put Him first everyday which actually led to her lifestyle of getting up before everyone else to seek His face as He has instructed her. If she is so busy and still finds a way to honor God by putting Him first daily then I am certain that a lot of us (including myself) have no excuse.
If only we will be sincere with ourselves, we will admit that the things that we put first have not earned the right to come first. These things range from technology (phones, gadgets, computers, television, etc) to work and family demands. Some of us need to imbibe the culture of self discipline in this regard because what we usually wake up to includes missed calls, text messages, emails and other things that could actually wait. Sadly, waking up to attend to these things first is capable of distracting and entangling us in the web of work, Internet, social media, life issues and others which eventually mess up the rest of the day.
Luke 21:34-36
“But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
There is a constant battle between the flesh and the Spirit. The inability to admit this and take necessary steps to ensure that the flesh loses the battle will eventually lead to us being disconnected from God. Why live at all if one’s life is disconnected from God – the source and essence of life? Life is of no use without the One who matters most. We have a choice to live a life worthy of His glory by simply honoring and putting Him first each day that we live.
Galatians 5:16-17
” I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you please.”
Author Profile
- Temitope is the founder of thesoulmeal.com, an online platform that she shares with her God-given spiritual family and friends. She is a speaker, teacher and youth counselor. She is passionate about inspiring people to find their identity in Christ. Catch her interviewing inspiring leaders on Tongue of the Learned Podcast
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