I'm Kinda Prioritized

As Christians, we all know the right answer to the question: "What should come first in your life?" God, of course. Jesus made it clear in Matthew 6 when He said, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you." He also declared in Matthew 22 that loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind is "the first and great commandment." But knowing the right answer and living it out are two very different things.

What Does It Mean to Be "Kind of Christian"?

Many people claim to be Christians, especially in the Bible Belt, but their lives don't reflect it. They're what we might call "kind of Christian" - half-hearted in their faith, calling themselves Christians without truly following Jesus. A "kind of Christian" has: - Enough Jesus to feel better, but not enough to be changed - Enough Jesus to soothe their conscience, but not enough to make a real difference in their life

How Should Our Priorities Be Ordered?

If we're honest about how our priorities should be ordered as Christians, it would look something like this: 1. God 2. Marriage/Family 3. Career 4. Possessions/Stuff 5. Hobbies/Interests But how often does our actual life reflect this order? For many of us, the reality looks more like: 1. Career 2. Marriage 3. Family 4. Possessions/Stuff 5. Hobbies/Interests ...and then God gets squeezed in wherever we can find room - maybe on Easter Sunday or when we're in crisis.

What Does the Bible Call It When Something Takes God's Place?

The Bible has a clear term for when anything takes God's rightful place in our lives: idolatry. The very first of the Ten Commandments addresses this: "You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3). And the New Testament reinforces this in 1 John 5:21, which says, "Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts." When we think of idolatry, we often picture golden calves or pagan statues. But biblical idolatry is much broader - it's putting anything before God, anything that takes His place in our hearts.

Why Does God Want to Be First in Our Lives?

It's not that God wants to be first - He IS first. This is His nature and character. God is first whether we acknowledge it or not. We don't have the power to change His position; we can only align our lives with the reality of His preeminence. God describes Himself as "jealous" - not in the human, selfish sense of jealousy (the Hebrew word "qana"), but in a divine sense (the Hebrew word "qanna"). God's jealousy is about protecting the covenant relationship He has with us. It's a righteous, holy jealousy from a God who gave everything for us and wants us to give everything back to Him.

What Happens When We Put Other Things Before God?

Psalm 16:4 warns: "Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more." When we put something before God, it doesn't hurt Him - it hurts us. This misplaced priority creates: - Constant tension - Feeling overwhelmed - Disconnection from God - A void we try to fill with other things We might try to fill this void with drinking "just to cut the edge off," spending more than we make "to enjoy life," or losing our temper easily. These aren't the real problems - they're symptoms of idolatry.

Can Good Things Become Idols in Our Lives?

Even good things can become idols when they take God's place: - Your career: "I love my job. It's who I identify as." - Your children: "My kids are my life. I schedule everything around them." These aren't bad things in themselves, but when they become the center of your world instead of God, they've become idols. Even good things can be harmful when they take God's place in your heart.

How Can I Tell If Something Has Become an Idol?

Ask yourself these three questions: 1. Does it lead me closer to God or distract me from God? 2. Do I rely on this more than God for my comfort, identity, or worth? 3. If God asked me to give it up, would I do so without hesitation?

How Do We Make God First Again?

The key to removing an idol isn't just getting rid of it - it's replacing it with something better. Replace your idols with God. Pursue Him. Chase after Him. The reason God isn't first in many of our lives is simple: we don't want Him there badly enough. What we truly want, we pursue. If God isn't first in your life, it's because you haven't experienced how good He truly is. If you really knew how good God is, you would pursue Him wholeheartedly. You would want Him to be first. Once He becomes that in your life, nothing else can satisfy you.

Life Application

This week, take an honest inventory of your priorities. Where does God actually rank in your daily life? Not where you say He should be, but where your time, thoughts, and resources indicate He is. Ask yourself: 1. What occupies most of my thoughts throughout the day? 2. Where do I turn first for comfort when I'm stressed or upset? 3. What would be hardest for me to give up if God asked me to? 4. How much of my day is intentionally devoted to pursuing God? The challenge is simple but profound: Taste and see that the Lord is good. Make a deliberate choice to pursue God this week - through prayer, Scripture, worship, or service. Replace whatever has taken His place with a genuine pursuit of Him. Remember, if God isn't number one in your life, it's not because He doesn't deserve to be there - it's because you haven't yet discovered how satisfying He truly is.