“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3

Every responsible human being is faced with the task of prioritizing daily. Whether it is related to tasks at work, school, or in relationships, we all must make decisions about what is most important to us, and how to organize them.

God has said in His word in so many instances, that He demands to be number one in our lives. His purpose for this is not rooted in selfishness. He is not merely saying that He wants us for Himself for some shallow or arbitrary reason. His love says that He cannot live without us. He knows that if we do not keep Him in a position of preeminence in our lives, we will never live with Him eternally.

Sin has mixed up the intended order of things. We have been programmed to think that the first priority should be self-satisfaction. The pursuit of riches, notoriety, and lofty educational attainments has, in many cases, dethroned God in our soul temple. Closely associated with God’s command to keep Him first is His resume’ of gifts to us. He has made every provision necessary for our freedom from the power and presence of sin; therefore, it should be an act of gratitude to make Him Lord of our every detail.

In the practical things of life, we can begin to put God first by jumpstarting our day with Him. Through worship, prayer, and Bible study we can bring what really matters into focus. When we have the right focus from the very beginning of our day, the enemy has less access to our lives, and the Lord is able to fight our battles for us. When we meet with God in the morning, we give Him permission to support or change anything we have planned.

Make, and keep the Lord first in your days, and He will remain seated on the throne of your life.