In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you. Proverbs 3:6 TLB
Being fully committed means that God is first in everything you do. Not first and then forgotten until the next big moment. God is your go-to source in every consideration, big or small. He has authority, and we trust Him so much that we don’t attempt to exercise veto power over His wisdom.
It’s not just in the big things. If you are truly following, God is your source for even the quiet, seemingly insignificant choices no one else sees or knows. We make hundreds of decisions on an ordinary day; some minute and some major. We don’t always know the size and ultimate significance of the decisions when we make them. We decide what to say, what to do, where to go, who to prioritize, how to spend our money, how to spend our time.
Every one of those decisions – no matter how casually it is made and how small it seems to be – shows who truly occupies the throne of my life. When I casually and easily make the choice to do what seems convenient, easy, best to me without consulting God, I miss His wisdom and I don’t even realize what I am missing. When I am mistreated or deserve more than I am getting and my decisions are retaliatory or angry, I add crisis and trouble for me down the road. God is not capricious or selfish. He does not desire to be on the throne for anything less than His love for me. He knows what is best for me, for my relationship with Him and others, for peace with myself and my future down the road. He is not distant or disinterested. He wants to be active and working, giving us His best in every area. He is leaning in, bending low to help us.
But we have to be open and ask – we must actively seek Him. Too often we don’t think about seeking God’s perspective until after we have made the decision, and most often we just ask Him to bless what we have already done or get us out of the mess we have created, He wants us to ask Him before we start that relationship, before we make the move, before we start the job, before we sign the contract, before we make the purchase, before everything. He doesn’t want to be your last resort: “There’s nothing to do now but pray.” He wants to be your first resource. Even Jesus, God Himself, sought His Father first and always chose to follow. If He did, how much more do you and I need to seek God first? This is truly following.
It's easy to follow my emotions, my own ideas, and my own desires. It takes wisdom and patience to slow down and wait for God to show me what is right and best. But this is the following that avoids regrets, builds a life of impact and satisfaction, and is rewarded by God.
- Following Jesus means prioritizing Father God’s voice and will first and always. The Holy Spirit will make sure I hear if I slow down, seek, and listen.