Word of the Week - Put God First
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33
Timeless Life Truths – If you are like me, recent developments in our world/country (Covid-19, George Floyd tragedy, social unrest, political disunity etc.) are quite unsettling and bring legitimate concerns for the future of our nation. As I have prayed and pursued conversation to seek understanding, I recognize that many of these issues are quite complex and not easily resolved. That being said, I am reminded that God is sovereign and still in control, His word is timeless and true, and what we are facing today is not a “new thing” from God’s perspective. This reality should encourage us towards “seeking God first” to gain wisdom and understanding of our role in being part of the solution. We cannot fix all of these generational complex issues but we can each take a part in bringing God’s kingdom to earth by using our resources, talents and influences to make a difference and create a better world for all. I don’t have all of the answers but I am certain that the following God principals are a good starting point for each of us as outlined in this very powerful 11 minute commencement talk given by actor Denzel Washington to a group of college grads and their families. Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--1dFvyjt-AHere are 3 Timeless Biblical Truths from Denzel’s talk: Put God First in Everything you do: God makes it very clear that He desires to be the “First” priority in our lives. In fact the 1st commandment from God is that “You shall have no other god’s before me” Exodus 20:3. He goes on to send His only begotten son Jesus our savior to be the “First Fruit” offering to all mankind for our redemption, He went First. If I have learned anything in my walk of faith over the last 19 years it is that there is a tremendous blessing in walking out this God principal by faith. Making the Lord our First priority each day and in all things is key to receiving the benefits of our faith. He promises us that if we simply make Him the First in all things then He will bless us and protect us as we navigate through the challenges of life. I have personally experienced this in my walk with Christ and have made it one of my life pursuits to walk in this truth and encourage others to do the same. By the way firstfruits is putting God First in everything to include our thoughts, day, marriage, relationships, money etc. Try it and see the blessing. “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine” Proverbs 3:9-10Dream Big and have goals: Our country was founded on Christian based principals that all things are possible for those who are willing to take risk and work hard with persistence to achieve their goals. I believe this is more true today than it ever has been for our citizens. The key to this as Denzel laid out in his talk is that we must apply simple core principals like hard work, discipline, consistency, perseverance, wisdom, counsel and understand that we may fail a few times before we find success. That is actually part of life and another biblical truth to develop us and our character. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” James 1:2-4 The key is that we walk by faith, believe in ourselves and our dreams and understand that these things take time and sacrifice and don’t just happen because we dream them up. There is generally a price to be paid to build something of value and delayed gratification is a good thing and the reality of life. “We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised” Hebrews 6:12 .Make a difference: If you walk by faith “Put God first in everything” and “Dream big with goals” you will have success over time and be blessed. God blesses us so we can be a blessing to others and use what He has given us to make a difference in this world for His kingdom, which is the opportunity and true joy of life. First and foremost we must understand where our blessing come from and have a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving toward the Lord. “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name”. Psalm 100:4 The heart of God is to reach the lost and help lift others up towards Christ, so let us make this our priority and use everything the Lord has given us to include our time, talent, treasure and influence to share the good news and sow the seed of the Gospel. “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” 1 Timothy 6:17-19I truly believe that if we walk out these truths in our lives we will change the world and experience the Joy of the Lord, which is our strength especially during these challenging times.Pressing forward in faith,-Duane