EP 24: How to Put God First
Do you struggle to put God first? If so, you're not alone. Join Elle as she discusses this very relatable struggle and how we can be proactive in prioritizing God in all things.
Welcome
Hey Sis! Welcome to episode 24 of the Daughter of Delight podcast. If we haven’t had the chance to meet yet, my name is Elle and I am the founder of Daughter of Delight and the host of the Daughter of Delight podcast. I’m so glad you have taken the time to tune in. I pray the Lord would use our time together to meet you and bless you right where you’re at! I wanted to take some time this week to shine light on a few ways for us to be more intentional in how we seek and put God first in our lives.
Review of the Week
But, as always, first, we are going to take a look at the review of the week. It comes from Lrod828 and she says, “I enjoy how she shares the truth of God’s Word. This is one of my favorite podcasts!”I get SO giddy when I read reviews like this, Lrod828, and I can’t even tell you how encouraging it is to hear your words. I am so thrilled you are delighting in this podcast and that the Lord is using it to help you delight in Him. This is exactly why I created the DOD podcast and it just makes my heart so very happy!
Do Me A Favor?
If you are enjoying the podcast and have not yet left a review for it, would you do me a favor? Would you head on over to iTunes and leave your sister a review? My husband and I put so much work into creating this thing each week and it would mean SO much to us both to be able to get your feedback on it. If you’re willing to do that for us, know that I am over here sending you all the hugs and all the thank yous!
Putting God First
Alright, now let’s get into the bulk of today’s episode. Let’s talk about how we can do a better job of putting God first. This year has, undoubtedly, been a year that will go down in our history books. And because of all that’s been going on in the world, it’s pretty darn easy to focus on the things of this world. Am I right or am I right?
The Struggle is Real
Let me give you a dose of some real talk, real quick. When COVID-19 first hit, my anxiety shot out of the roof. If you were to ask me to name the thorn in my side, it would undoubtedly be anxiety. I have struggled with it for my entire life. Needless to say, I was so afraid of the unknown with all things COVID and for a good minute there, I sought my peace in all the wrong places- articles, news channels, live press conferences from the White House, you name it...which is why the peace I found was only a temporary, dissatisfy if type of peace. Now, don’t hear me say that it’s not important to be aware, cautious, proactive, and respectful of all that’s going on- and I’m not just talking about COVID, here either. I wholeheartedly believe that we very well should be. But if we want to live in the peace that is ours only in Christ, then we have to stop letting our fear and anxiety lead the way. We have to draw the line somewhere. See where I’m going with this?
Darkness is real
The fact of the matter is, darkness is very real and very at work within this world. And it will always be this way until the return of Christ Jesus. We are wading in the waters of the now but not yet, and in the meantime, we have a job to do...a role to play. We are to be image-bearers of Christ.
Fight From Victory
Now Sis, hear me when I say this: In order to successfully fight against the darkness at work within this world, we must place God first and we must fight to keep Him there. Because of Christ Jesus, the victory is already ours. The battle has already been won. Death has already been defeated. You know what that means, right?We get to fight from a place of victory, and this is something I want you to remember as you focus on prioritizing God as number one in every facet of your life! It’s not simply an integral piece of our faith lives, but it’s also an absolute gift that we have the opportunity to participate in such a wonderful, life-giving, and freeing relationship with the Creator of the Universe.
The Struggle to Put God First & Keep Him There
If you feel or have ever felt discontent in your walk with God, let me be the first to tell you it’s not because of anything lacking on His end.Want to know how I know this? Because He promises that He is with us every step of the way.
Romans 8:38-39
I love the words of Romans 8:38-39:"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (ESV).
Lack of Effort
Now, if we are being completely honest with ourselves here, oftentimes it’s easier for us to just let God be God “over there” while we do our own thing “over here”, with the occasional nod or wave of recognition His way.We let ourselves believe we do not have the time or energy it takes to put forth the effort when it comes to, quite literally, the most important relationship we will ever have in this life!
God Deserves the Entirety of Who We Are
When it comes down to it, we find ourselves dissatisfied in our relationship with God because we refuse to put Him first. That occasional wave or nod of recognition just isn’t cutting it. God is not our neighbor. He is the Creator of the Universe, the One who breathes life into every ounce of our being and continues to wake us up each morning! And He deserves so much more than our breadcrumbs. He deserves the ENTIRETY of who we are.
Convicted?
If you’re feeling uncomfortable or convicted, please don’t think that I’m trying to guilt or shame you of your failure to keep God at the very forefront of your life. I’m just as guilty as you are! But I’m also not here to water down the truth for you. I’m here to remind you of it and to point you back into His loving embrace. I’m here to help you push your pride aside so that you can embrace the very vital and freeing truth that we cannot do this life alone. We need our Father in Heaven, every hour of every minute of every day. And I pray that God would use this episode to convict you in the ways you may need right now. Thanks be to God that the power of His Spirit in us opens our eyes to our sin and points to repentance and into the arms of our judgment-free Father! Amen?!
Excuses, Excuses
Getting into the vicious cycle and habit of telling ourselves we will do better tomorrow to justify the busyness of today is only one way we fail to put God first. That being said, whatever excuse it may be that we allow to get in the way, you better believe the only one we are pleasing here is Satan. Satan rejoices when our relationship with God is not the very thing we look to in order to be nourished and sustained. And as he does so, the very eyes of the Creator of the Universe and His love-filled heart remain centered on you as He eagerly awaits your return Home.
To Put God First is to Put in the Effort!
Sis, God invites us into partnership with Him. “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” -1 Corinthians 1:9 (ESV) Our relationship with Him is not, nor will it ever be one-sided. Just like any other relationship, it takes work. Our relationship with God is the VERY relationship we must prioritize over everyone and everything- even our families. Because in order to fully love, serve & invest in those around us, we must first seek His love. Our ability to love well comes from the Source of Love Himself. Ooh, let me say that again! Our ability to love well comes from the Source of Love Himself. Remember this.
Five Ways to Put God First
As promised, here are five different ways for us to put God first. Grab a pen and a piece of paper if you can, or take notes on your phone even. I really want to challenge you to be proactive in your relationship with God by committing to these very things moving forward.
1.) Start your day with prayer.
1 Chronicles 16:11 caps us to, “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” (ESV) And James 5:16 urges us to, “...confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (ESV).The power of prayer and its impact on our every day is incredible! Designate a place for it and commit to starting your day 15-20 minutes earlier than usual, turn on some of your favorite worship tunes, and enjoy starting your day with your Heavenly Father. Pray the Lord’s Prayer. You can find this in Matthew 6:9-13. Pray for a mindset shift. Pray for God to open your eyes to the work of His sovereign hands in your life. Do not go a single day without this precious gift from the Father.
2.) Get in the Word every single day.
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. -Romans 10:17 (ESV)All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. -2 Timothy 3:16-17In order to be changed by truth, we must first know truth. And the only way we can know & be changed by truth is by remaining rooted in it! Get in God’s Word, sis. You have no excuse not to. It’s the food to our souls and the very thing that will arm us, strengthen us and breathe life into our being.
3.) Commit to memorizing one verse per week.
Psalm 119:11 is one of my favorite verses and it says, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (ESV). Here’s a method I love and recommend. Pick a verse and write it on post-it notes. Then, place it in the places you frequent most in your home and at work. Read the verse all the way through every time you lay eyes on a post-it. Do this until the verse is engraved on your heart. The keys to doing this successfully are patience and persistence. And don’t rush it. Enjoy the process! Start small and work your way up from there. A great place to start is Jeremiah 29:13.
4.) Incorporate acts of worship throughout your day.
In Romans 12:1-2 Paul says, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect“ (ESV).Pray, listen to sermons and worship music while you are cleaning the house, working out, driving in the car...basically any chance you get. God wants your undivided attention, not just the cracks of free time in your busy schedule. Keep your eyes open for what He is doing in your life. Let the One who calls you by name and knows the very number of hairs on your head be your guide, Father and friend. Let Him set the tone of your day, all throughout your day, for all of your days!
5.) Invest in community!
Psalm 133:1 states, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” (ESV) Sis, God did not create us to journey through this life alone. He created us for meaningful, fruitful and impactful community...people to journey through life with. We are truly better together. Healthy Christians make fellowship a habit! The most important weekly habit is corporate worship. Through it, we also have the opportunity to host or join a small group and participate in other community-related activities! I highly encourage you to take part in these things as well. Creating meaningful relationships with fellow believers not only enables us to do life together as God intended, but it also gives us a taste of His glory! What a privilege it is to be a part of His family! 🙌As we wrap things up today, let me also be the first to tell you that you’re not always going to do these things well. And this isn’t my way of giving you permission to not show up. But it is my way of telling you that we serve a compassionate God whose grace carries us through. The point of committing to these things is not so that you can check them off the list. The point is to help lead you into a life of abundance with our good and gracious God. Let us do our best to do these things well. And when we mess up, let us keep trying as we continue to keep our sight on the One who deserves our all in all, always. Amen?
Thank You
Thank you so much for tuning in to today’s episode. My prayer is that the Lord used it to challenge you to be more intentional in putting Him first in all things, at all times. If you enjoyed this episode, I want you to take a screenshot, add it to your IG story, and tell me how you are taking action to put God first. Be sure to tag @daughterofdelight so that I can share it on my story, too! Thanks so much for being a part of the Daughter of Delight community and for supporting the podcast. Words cannot even express how grateful I am for your place here. Talk with you next week!
More
Did you enjoy this week's episode on how to put God first? Check out last week's episode on God-sized dreams here!Want more encouragement? Check out this Daily Delight and/or sign up for our weekly newsletter here!