If you and I were to look at our calendar, would we find it full of events and places we want to go with our friends and appointments that we have set up, with hopefully leaving an hour on Sunday to fit God into our time schedule, unless of course something more important comes up in it's place?
I believe that in order to experience the abundant life God has given us, we need to make Him top priority. By asking ourselves some straightforward questions and answering them honestly, we can discover where God fits in our lives. My experience is that when I put Him first and follow His leading, everything else falls into place. The only way I can determine if God is first in my life is to slow down and ask myself some simple questions: What is the first thing on my mind in the morning and the last thing on my mind when I go to bed?
What do I think about the most?
What do I do with my time?
What subjects fill my conversation with others? The truth is we make time for whatever we want to do. We all have the same amount of hours in a day and for the most part, set our own schedule.
Matthew 6:21 says, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also". Where is your treasure?
In order for our lives to be fulfilled, you and I need to let God out of our Sunday morning box and not limit Him to only an hour or two on a Sunday morning. Let's welcome Him into our Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It's true, He is involved in spiritual things like reading our Bible and praying, but He also wants to be part of our everyday activities, like going to the grocery store, cleaning the house, and fixing the car. He wants to give us direction even in the small things, like finding a place to park, and in larger decisions of choosing a career and finding a mate. The Bible says in Proverbs 3:6 - In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. I have found that if I put my marriage before my personal relationship with God, my marriage suffers. The same is true if I put my children before my relationship with God. Although my husband and my kids are very special to me, God must be first. If He isn't, I won't have the strength and ability to have and enjoy a relationship with them or anyone else. Putting God first means to put His ways first, in other words, what God loves, we learn to love; what God hates, we learn to hate. For example, God loves people so we need to love people. God hates evil so we need to learn to hate evil. When you & I seek FIRST the kingdom of God, everything else comes along with it - peace, joy, righteousness, good relationships, health, success, breakthrough...whatever we need. Matthew 6:33 - Seek first the kingdom of heaven and ALL these things shall be added unto you. With Jesus in the driver's seat of our life, all other priorities will begin to fall into place. I don't believe anyone can give us a specific formula for how much time we should spend with God, but He should be first - followed by our family, our job, and our ministry. I don't have to have a formula to tell me how much time a week to spend with my husband. I love him and I want to be with him. If we need some extra time together, then I want to be able to give it to him.
God wants us to have the freedom to be led by His Spirit. Where the Word of God gives specific direction, we should follow it. If it doesn't ...the Spirit of Truth...will guide us into all the Truth - John 16:13.
Remember it is God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, who will give you and I the ability to adjust our lifestyle and bring it in line with the Word. He will help us to put Him first in our thoughts, conversations, and actions. He will show us how to place Him first in our time, money, relationships and decision-making.
When we put God first we are destined to win!
