07/03

More Than First

“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength…” Mark 12:30

God doesn’t want to be first in your life; He wants to be Lord over your life. To make something or someone first means that something or someone else is second, as if divided into parts. God doesn’t want to have part of your heart; God wants your whole heart. God doesn’t want to be a part of your day; God wants to be with you throughout your day.

God wants you to trust Him to have authority over everything that concerns you. He is your Father who loves you. He wants your absolute surrender and your total obedience. He wants you to recognize that as your Lord, He is working for your good. When you are yielded to Him, He is able to guide you into what is best for you, and He is able to protect you from what would be harmful to you. When He is Lord, He can redeem you, restore you, and transform you. What He allows in your life is to make you more like Him and to lead you to know His glory, even in difficulty.

When you give God the reigns of your life, you are also giving Him the opportunity to do something in your life. You can only do so much with your own strength, ability, and resources. When you surrender to God, you open yourself up to His strength, His ability, and His resources. When you live by faith, you will experience His grace, which is His sufficiency to take you beyond what you could ever be, have, or do on your own.

When you rely upon God, then you trust Him to show you how to live each day. He can balance what was out-of-balance. He can bring breakthrough where there was something holding you back. He can bring freedom to what had an unhealthy control. Even if you do a good job of managing your life on your own, God can do something greater because God can do something miraculous.

When you pray, you are positioning yourself in reliance upon God. Ask God to show you how to plan your day. Ask God how to prioritize your time, your money, your responsibilities, and your relationships. When God is your Lord, then you want to rely on God. You not only are open to His ways, but you are seeking His ways. His way is always best for you.

Application: If you think that you are saved because you go to church to make God a part of your life, then you might be mistaken. The way to eternal life is to give God your heart and make Him your Lord. If you have not done so, you can do it today!

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