10 Ways to Put God First
We know according to Scripture that we should put God first in our lives, but how can we practically do so? What does it look like to put God first daily? Here are 10 ways to do just that.
• Block out time to intentionally spend in His presence. The Psalms call us to be still and know that He is God. Sometimes, God just wants you to sit in His presence in the stillness of your heart and encounter Him at that moment.
• Put aside time to spend in God’s Word daily. We know that the Word of God is what renews our minds daily and helps us to know God and get closer to Him every day. Being disciplined in studying and meditating upon Scripture is a great way to put God first in your life and our Daily Amen feature helps to seamlessly incorporate it into your daily routine.
• Pray continually. Prayer doesn’t have to be a formal occasion done only at the dinner table or in your room on your knees. It can be done while driving, while walking through the hallways at school or work, or even while doing the dishes! Praying in the small moments throughout your day will help you to rely more on God and to get to know Him better.
• Write down what you are grateful for. Far too often, we live our lives without expressing gratitude to God for what He has done for us and what He has given us. Sitting down and thinking about or writing down what you are grateful to God for is a good way to put Him first.
• Don’t let commitments to God slide first. When life gets crazy, it can be easy to skip out on commitments we’ve made to God first. We’ll skip a church service or a small group in favor of other things when in fact, we’re telling God that the other thing is coming before Him. In order to put God first, we must put it into action and prioritize our commitments to Him above all else.
• Love others in the little things. Jesus called us to love one another as He loves us. Many times, we can get so busy and focused on completing our daily tasks, that we forget to love others in the process. Remembering to put Jesus’ command into action daily is putting Him first in your life.
• Don’t compromise for the world. The world is trying to pull us in a very different direction than God is, and it can be tempting to let it. However, to truly put God first is to submit to Him and His Word over what the world has to say about it.
• Seek God’s kingdom over your own. Don’t seek to get glory, fame, or riches for yourself; seek to build God’s kingdom first and all the things that you need will be added to you.
• Share your faith, even when it’s uncomfortable. Jesus calls us to share the Gospel with everyone that we come across, even though it’s uncomfortable. Swallowing your fear and getting out of your comfort zone to share your faith with others is a great opportunity to put God first in your life.
• Focus on eternity. When we put God first in our lives, we will encounter tribulation. However, we are preparing ourselves for an eternity of glory to come. Focus on that, and you will begin to truly put God first in your life.