ONE OF THE greatest gifts my parents gave me was teaching me from a very young age that God should always be first in my life. Long before I understood all the responsibilities and challenges that adulthood would bring, they continually reminded me of a simple but life-changing truth. If you put God first, everything else will eventually find its proper place.
This lesson has stayed with me through every season of life. Jesus emphasized this same principle in Matthew 6. In a chapter where He talked about worries, needs, possessions, and the pressures of everyday living, He gave a clear instruction: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33 NKJV). Notice, He didn’t say, “seek God whenever you have time.” He didn’t say seek God after you’ve handled everything else. He said to seek Him first. The word “first” is important. God does not desire to be merely on our list of priorities. He desires to be at the top of the list.
As we enter the fall season, many of us are returning to normal schedules after the summer months. Vacations are ending, school activities are beginning, and schedules are becoming busier. Calendars fill up quickly. Before long, we can find ourselves rushing from one responsibility to another without ever stopping to evaluate whether our priorities are still aligned with God’s priorities.
This is a perfect time to take inventory. Ask yourself a few honest questions: Where is God on my priority list? Has my relationship with Him grown stronger or weaker this year? Am I pursuing success while neglecting spiritual growth? Are there activities that are crowding out what matters most?
Often, our lives don’t become unbalanced because of sin. They become unbalanced for many reasons. Good things can become distractions when they take the place that belongs to God. The enemy rarely needs to convince believers to abandon God completely. More often, he simply distracts them. He fills their schedules with so many activities, commitments, and concerns that God slowly moves from first place to a lower spot on the list.
Yet Jesus reminds us that when we seek God first, everything else begins to come into proper perspective. That doesn’t mean that every problem disappears. It means that when God occupies His rightful place in our lives, He helps us navigate every challenge with His wisdom, peace, and direction. When God is our priority, we become more sensitive to His voice and quicker to recognize His instructions. He desires to help us with every issue we face, but too often we place Him at the bottom of our list. Have you ever heard someone say, “Well, I tried everything I knew to do, and finally I had to ask God for help”? While that statement may sound sincere, it reveals a common mistake. God was never meant to be our last resort; He is meant to be our first response.
So how do we reprioritize our lives? First, make time with God non-negotiable. Schedule prayer, Bible reading, and worship just as intentionally as you schedule appointments and meetings. What gets scheduled gets done. Second, evaluate your commitments. Not every opportunity is an assignment from God. Some activities may need to be reduced, delegated, or eliminated altogether. If something consistently pulls you away from your relationship with God, it deserves careful evaluation.
Third, put God’s Kingdom first in your decisions. Before making plans, ask, “How does this affect my walk with God? Does this help me fulfill His purpose for my life?” Kingdom-minded people view every decision through a spiritual lens.
Fourth, reconnect with God’s house through church attendance, fellowship, and serving with other believers. We were never meant to follow Christ in isolation. Fifth, regularly reassess. Priorities drift over time. Make it a habit to periodically examine your schedule, your focus, and your heart.
Life moves quickly. Demands are endless. Distractions are everywhere. But the principle Jesus taught remains as true today as it was when He first spoke it. Seek first! Not second, when it’s convenient. Not after everything else is finished. Seek first!
As we move into this fall season, let’s make a fresh commitment to place God where He belongs—at the center of our lives and at the top of our priorities. When we do, we discover again what many of us learned years ago: When God is first, everything else has a way of falling into place.
May this season be a time of renewed focus, renewed balance, and renewed pursuit of the One who is worthy of first place in every area of our lives.
Author
Lynette Hagin
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