FIRST THINGS FIRST

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

There are those clichés we hear all the time right?

Six one a half dozen another.

Two wrongs don’t make a right.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

You know what I am talking about, those “truisms” that someone quoted a long time ago and they continue to creep into language today.

A bird in the hand in worth two in the bush.  I have even eaten dinner in a place called Bird-in-Hand Pennsylvania.  

So these truisms are pretty solid indeed.

Here is another one.  FIRST THINGS FIRST.

A LOOOONG time ago I participated in a FRANKLIN PLANNER TIME MANAGEMENT class. My old dear boss Tim was a fanatical disciple of the FRANKLIN PLANNER.  He desperately wanted me on the team when it came to the little book.  Sadly, and any of you who know me, formal organization is not my strong suit by any stretch.  But one thing I did learn from the class was the use of A1’s.

And no I am not talking about the delicious steak sauce.  If you have ever used a FRANKLIN PLANNER they encourage you to “prioritize” your day by using little codes. 

A1 meant it needs to get done before anything else in the day; it held highest priority.  B2 might be something that you want to get accomplished after lunch.  C3 might be one of those things that needs done, but can wait.

A1’s were FIRST THING FIRST “THINGS”.

And that got me to thinking today about this verse.

Matthew 6:33

33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness

GOD crafted the truism of FIRST THINGS FIRST.  It is important to Him.

But we often forget about this part of the verse so we can get to the part that WE LIKE!

…and all these things will be given to you as well.

We often get so focused on “all the things we can get” that we forget that GOD must come first.

The secret to receiving God's blessing in life is to put His Kingdom first, AND THEN everything else will be added to you. 

Seems awfully simple, but the truth is we rarely get that right.

Instead we try to translate the verse to:

“GOD I need “XYZ”, now I will seek you so you can give it to me”.

Backwards huh? Instead of seeking GOD first then waiting, WE decided to take first place and lay out our NEEDS to GOD then go and SEEK Him for the payoff.

However we should never underestimate the power of obedience.  When we obey God and get our priorities in line, it unlocks and releases incredible blessings in our life.

Bayless Conley puts it this way,

“When we put the spiritual above the material, when we put the cause and the mission of God's Kingdom before our own personal desires, it will cause things to be added to our lives.”

I like that!

Peterson says, “Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative...”  That is truly putting GOD above the material!  In other words GOD is your A1 each and every day!  No exceptions!

So let’s give this a go.  I know it seems so simple, but do we really practice it?

If your not sure how to kick it off or get started, Paul lays it out pretty simply...

Before anything else:

Romans 12:2

First of all, let Him give you a new mind. Then you will know what God wants you to do. And the things you do will be good and pleasing and perfect.

In others words, start with GOD; SEEK HIM FIRST and leave rest to Him.

And for you FRANKLIN PLANNER buffs your entry for each day is:

A1 SEEK GOD FIRST  (Tim would be so proud )

I love you all.

Freedom Church

 

 

Pastor GDelaney