First Things First

With New Years’ Resolutions flying around everywhere, it would be easy to fall into the same old set of the yearly wishes. You know, loose weight, start the exercise program, organize my life, save money, travel more, and of course, keep the daily journal to keep me honest.

This is all well and good, but to be truthful, it usually doesn’t last into the month of February. I find that my resolution, or my motivation to change anything in my life, comes from inspiration, from conviction, or you may say, a willingness and determination that propels me into action.

This process of conviction, to motivation, and to excitement happened to me while listening to a Sunday morning sermon in my home church. It was the first Sunday of this new year, and the title of the sermon was: “First Things First.” The pastor began by asking the question, “What is the greatest priority in your life? Thoughts began to flood my mind; was it my children, my husband, my marriage, saving for retirement, was it my health, my life? What was the most important thing in my life now and forever? I had to say above all, it was my Faith. In all reality, I had to acknowledge the God of my salvation, the God who saves me, loves me, gives me everyday direction, corrects me, and instructs me. This was and always will be the first thing in my life.

The pastor then listed some life-saving resolutions.

1. Read God’s Word every day. How can we know what path to take, how to check our attitude, how to love God and our neighbor if we don’t read his Word? We find comfort in the Psalms, wisdom in the Proverbs, and examples for everyday living in the Testaments. His Word is life, it is ever relevant to everything we can or will face.
2. Pray every day. Did you ever notice, that prayer is a life-line to the greatest source of strength that we could ever hope for? People pray when they are in trouble, when they are scared, and when they are devastated. But what about talking to God every day. It is like saving up in a bank, and when needed, we have cash on hand. When trouble comes, He knows us, knows our name, and is right at our side to help. Prayer changes things, and manifest miracles take place.
3. Stewardship: Time, Treasure, and Talents. All the money we could possibly make in a lifetime, will never follow us to the next. Money does not make us happy. It is merely superficial. Blessing others makes us happy. Using our God-given talents to bless others will truly give us satisfaction and show our children purpose for living.
4. Worship God. This is the greatest thing we can display to our children. They should know that we love God, and that we put Him first in our lives. When we worship God and him only, we put our dreams, aspirations, hobbies, and associations, second place. It is His will that we prosper, and that our accomplishments remain. But all of this is only possible with God working in our lives.
5. Resolve to be in Church. I can always find my way home from church.

There were a few other suggestive resolutions given that morning, but all in all the theme was God First. Yes, we should improve our health, have fun, and enjoy our accomplishments. But my heart tells me to put First Things First, and everything will fall in place. Read Matt. 6:33.

Bill & Rosalie at Marriage Retreat

Happy New Year,

Rosalie