“Spiritual growth is not about religion but rather a relationship.” It is so said in Come Climb Toward God: Are you Hungry for God?, a book on how to develop a deeper relationship with God by Albritton. In the book’s study guide, the author asks, “Have you established your personal relationship with Jesus?”
Assume that we all have a personal relationship with God and accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. The question the author should have asked – or rather, the question we should ask ourselves – is, “Have we put God first in our lives?”
To rephrase the question, “Do you put God first in your life?”
To be in a relationship with God is to put first things first. Often times Christians find themselves in a situation of being so dutiful, so responsible, and so correct in their devotions that they lost their joy of experiencing God. Is it possible for a Christian believer to lose his or her joy of knowing God?
Take, for instance, the case of Martha. In the Gospel of Luke, we discover that she holds deep resentment toward her younger sister, Mary. Although she is neither immoral nor rebellious, Mary certainly does not have Martha’s sense of responsibility. She leaves the housework to Martha so that she can sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to His teachings.
We read, “Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’ (Luke 10:40 NIV).
Jesus’ answer to Martha’s demand that He tell Mary to help her with the preparations is: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42 NIV).
In the Gospel, we see two very different temperaments in Martha and Mary. The former loved to serve but caused unrest due to her anxious manner of waiting on Jesus and the other guests. The latter, in her simple and trusting manner, waited on Jesus by sitting attentively at His feet. She knew in her heart that what Jesus most wanted at that moment was her attentive presence. Who put Jesus first: Martha or Mary?
One of the greatest truths in the Bible is that only when we give our lives to God do we live with true meaning, joy, and fulfillment with Jesus Christ, the only one who can quench our deepest thirst and fill our hungry souls.
Of course, Jesus never taught that we do not set goals for our career or spend time with family. He does remind us, however, that the reason for our living and the heart of our faith is to love and worship God.
A Christian should never think of his or her personal life and career as separate from God but blessed and prepared by Him, whom one should put first. Our personal life and career should never serve as a hindrance to our relationship with God. Rather, we are to put Him first with our personal life and work. So, if you are struggling with the chores or bills or getting things accomplished at work, seek God’s help even while you are working and sorting things out. Ask Him every day before you set out to work. Pray to Him on your way to work or as you fulfill your goals.
Anxiety and preoccupation keep a Christian from listening and giving God his or her undivided attention. God bids us to take our concerns and anxieties to Him because He is trustworthy. He cares not only for our needs and fears but also for us. He alone can free us from our needless concerns, preoccupation, and worries about things beyond our control. He only wants us to give Him our undivided love and attention.
Read and reflect on the following Bible passages on putting God first:
You shall have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:3 NIV)
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6:5 NIV)
Commit to the Lord whatever you do and he will establish your plans. (Proverbs 16:3 NIV)
No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (Matthew 6:24 NIV)
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33 NIV)
And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. (2 Corinthians 8:5 NIV)
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. (Colossians 3:2 NIV)
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15 NIV)
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