GOD in my “Busyness”
Practical ways to put God first everyday..
But seek ye FIRST the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matt 6:33
The scripture in Matt 6:33 teaches us to prioritise God and all about him above all other things, and we will reap the fruit thereof. One may argue that this scriptures might be easier to fulfil by full time ministers, than career or business people etc. After all, pastors and other full time ministers are called to seek God anyway. That definitely shouldn’t be an issue for them.
Does God really expect the same level of dedication to him from everyone? Would he not expect more from those in full time ministry? If I am a single mum of three children, juggling two jobs, whilst still trying to cater for my aged mum, as well as attend to other schedules of life, how will I ever have the time to seek God? Is God really aware of how busy my schedule is? Does he know that I wake up 5am everyday and do not return home until 10pm?
Meditating on this scripture again gave a better insight on what God really require from us. FIRST POSTION is key to God, not second or third. Not an afterthought.
‘You shall have no other gods before me “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. Exo 20:3–6
In this scripture, it shows, that we are allowed to have people and things in our lives that we love so dearly. Some might even take a lot of our time. However, none of those people or things can come before God. God’s place in our heart cannot be contested
Six practical ways we can seek God FIRST
- Begin the day with God
I learnt this from my parents. I recall as a child, our morning devotion was as early 5:30am. Even at that, my parents will encourage that we pray first on our beds before we join the family devotion. This was to ensure that God takes the first place in the day. Don’t be tempted to jump on your phone or laptop to continue a conversation or work presentation that you started off a day before. God is much important to be spoken to first, and he is capable of directing our day. And while we are talking to God in the mornings, our absolute devotion & attention is very important. Did I hear you say, I can hear my kids screaming for help in the other room, I need to rush out of bed! Judging from my personal experience , half of the time, its the neighbour kids’ screaming. And even when we truly need to attend to something urgent in the mornings, saying some words to the creator who made it possible to see another day is definitely non- negotiable. It could be “Thank you lord for the gift of life” , “ Help me lord, its another day”, or just singing beautiful song of praise to him.
2. Give to God first.
While we know God doesn’t need our money. It is important that we give towards the things of God first. Paying of tithes, offering or helping towards a need or outreach, are all ways that we can give to God and his works. A good way to prioritise God with our giving could mean paying our tithe and offering first before buying groceries into the home or other personal needs. One could argue that, if the tithe will still be paid, then the timing might not be relevant. However, our prioritising God should mean that we sort what belongs to God first, before Caesar. After all, taxes are deducted even before the income gets into our account. Does God who is the highest of all authority not then deserve to be honoured with our fruits earlier?
3. Ask God before Google
During a discussion at a home fellowship, one of the attendees had contested, why we will need to bother God for the simplest things. According to him, the reason God gave us brains was so we can think and not bother him with minor things. Why should I ask God what to wear today, or which route to drive to work when I can simply check on my google maps. While I agree that google can give the fastest route to work, it definitely would not be able tell that a suicide bomber is waiting on the same route. What is the essence of arriving early at a destination, only to get killed?
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you ALL things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. John 14:26
There is no aspect of our lives that is too simple or complex to ask or tell God about. Keeping God first in all our daily dealings, requires that we check with him first before we engage other google search engines (i.e. friends, families, consultants, doctors, news, economy etc)
4. God first before loved ones
Yes we love our family and friends. But not in any way should they take the first place in our lives. If a decision was to involve satisfying a family member’s need and “God related” need. The later definitely has to have absolute priority. When our loved ones are aware of the position that we have placed God and his activities in our lives, they will adjust to our schedules. And in any case, we should also encourage them to do the same.
5. God first in the marketplace
Most people prefer to keep their godly lives private. They are christians at home and in church on sundays. However, while in the office and other market places, they would rather keep it professional. I am yet to see anyone not prioritise the person they are proud of, and love so much. So if we say we love God, we sure will keep him first even in our offices.
Putting God first during the office hours could mean
- Running our business idea or presentation by him before we implement, It could also mean, asking him what to say in a business meeting before responding.
- Seeking as many opportunities as possible during the day to check in with God. Toilet breaks for example is a good time to pray. After all, an average person will use the toilet at least two to three times a day. That is two to three opportunities to pray.
- Giving the first ten–fifteen mins from a one hour break to reading the scripture or praying, is a great way to prioritise God in the marketplace. And it could be right there at the coffee shop or in the staff canteen or somewhere more quiet as it is appropriate.
6. Early days for God
Serving God while we are young and agile is another way that we commit to putting God first in our lives. Some people plan to serve God better when they retire, get much older, or reach a particular goal in their life. Unfortunately, some don’t live that long to fulfil their promise. For others, ill- health associated with old age could pose a big risk in going all the way out for God.
Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” Ecc. 12:1 NLT
