Here are Nine things you are most likely putting before GOD
Phone
And if
it’s not your phone, it’s your laptop or your iPad or tablet. Whether you’re on
Facebook wasting hours away scrolling through your news feed or taking and
posting pictures of every desert you have, those are valuable minutes and hours
that could be spent doing something else. Social media is a powerful tool to do
good, but how much time are you investing, and what kind of good are you doing
while on it?
Your kids
Don’t get mad at me! I’ll explain. Kids are one of the biggest
priorities of our lives and because of them we have so much joy and love in our
households. But how many times have you gone through a day with playdough in
your hair and spit-up on your shirt, and you realize you haven’t done a single
thing all day other than take care of kids? Start giving yourself at least five
minutes each day to sit down to read scriptures or pray or have some alone time
to sit and ponder and write in your journal. It might have to be after your spouse
gets home or after bedtime, but God needs your time too, and he’ll make you an
even better parent.
Money
In some ways, it does make the world go round. Without it, life
gets pretty hard. But I’ve seen people walk away from God once they strike it
rich and can afford the hot new car and the penthouse suite. I’ve seen the love
of money destroy marriages, and I’ve seen workaholics devote every second to
their growing business until they get addicted to the cash flow and never look
back. Don’t put the cash ahead of what matters. You can’t take it with you.
Church
responsibilities
There are lots of jobs and responsibilities within church
congregations, and each one matters and keeps the wheels moving. But when those
responsibilities cloud the very reason you’re there or the very meaning behind
why you’re doing those tasks, the jobs themselves become a priority rather than
Who you’re doing them for.
A
relationship
This one can be easy to put before God if you’re not careful,
especially while you’re young. You date, fall in love and plan a wedding; and
life just rolls busily along. Even well after you’re married, you have to
choose together to put God first.
Hobbies
Fantasy football, video games, crafts, photography and … shall I
go on? You have talents and interests, and they deserve plenty of your
attention. But there’s a balance in all things. How much time are you giving
those hobbies? Do you thank God for those talents?
Idle time
We all deserve a little R&R, especially after a long workday
or day with the kiddos. But something to remember is we always have time for
the things we prioritize. Think of your favorite things. Even in your busy
life, you make time for them, right? Devote more of that time to service for
others or reading your Bible or sending a prayer of thanks Heavenward.
Education
I’m a huge advocate for higher education. But, for a lot of
students, hitting the books can mean no time for anything else. The degree, the
tests and the jam-packed classes and notebooks filled to overflowing is
EVERYTHING that matters. Those things do matter, but nurturing your
relationship with God each day matters too.
Your trials
We fight addictions, or we watch a loved one battle a disease,
or we work two jobs to keep food on the table, and during the battle we focus
so very intently on the fire that we can’t see through the flames. Sometimes we
get so focused on our problems we forget to take them to the problem solver.
God is there. He wants to help. He doesn’t want us to forget Him when life gets
hard.
We all have things to work on and things we are putting before
God every day despite our best efforts. The only thing we can do is recognize
when we are placing anything before Him, work on changing and retrain ourselves
to see past all the distractions. Just as a good woman I knew as a kid used to
say, “What are you doing in this moment? This moment is your life,” we have to
remember it’s what we do in day-to-day moments that makes up who we are.
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