The Principle Of Priority
Most of us are familiar with the first of the ten commandments that’s found in Exodus 20:3: You shall have no other gods before me. And on the surface, the commandment seems pretty simple and straightforward, but I’ve been around Christians long enough to know how most of us think...and I know that we’re always looking for a loophole. For example, when it says, “You shall have no other gods before me,” some of you are thinking, “Sounds to me like it’s okay to have other gods like my money or my career or my kids or my boat just as long as those things aren’t first in line!” Sorry, but that’s not what the commandment is saying. God was saying, “You shall have no other gods – period!” And I say that because the Hebrew word translated, “before,” appears in the Old Testament over a thousand times, but it’s only translated, “before,” a few times. Most of the time the word is translated “besides.” So think of the commandment this way: “You shall have no other gods besides me.” In other words, God is saying, “I want to be your number one priority,” and you can see how this principle of priority plays out throughout the entire Bible.
For example, when the Hebrew people moved into the Promised Land, the first city they had to conquer was the city of Jericho. As they prepared themselves to take the city, God told the Israelites, “After you conquer the city, bring all of the silver and gold from Jericho into the house of God.” Why did God say that? It’s because Jericho was the first city (it was the principle of priority). Later on God said, “The firstborn of all your flocks and herds belongs to me.” Why did He say that? It’s the principle of priority. He didn’t say, “When your sheep has new lambs, you can wait until you have ten, and then give me the runt of the litter.” He said, “Give me the first one before you have the other nine.” God said, “When you have a harvest, give the first fruits to me. Don’t pay all of your bills first and then see if you have enough left over. Give me the first fruits.” In fact, this is the reason God accepted Abel’s offering, but He didn’t accept Cain’s offering. Cain didn’t give his first fruits. My point is, this principle of priority runs all through Bible. God basically says, “Life only works the way it’s supposed to work when you put me first in every area of your life.”
Jesus reiterates the same thing in Matthew 6:31-33: “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” In other words, God knows that we now live in a period of time where we need to make plans for retirement and college and a mortgage and life insurance. He’s aware of the culture we live in. But Jesus says, “Put God first, and all of these things will fall into place.”
There’s a cool story in 1 Kings 17 where there’s a famine in the land. And so God tells Elijah, “Go to Zarephath — there’s a widow there that will provide for you.” And so Elijah shows up at this widow’s house and he asks her for some water and she gives it to him). And then he asks her for some bread, and I want you to see her response in 1 Kings 17:12-15: “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread— only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.” Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’” She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family.
Isn’t that amazing? When this single mom obeyed the first commandment and practiced this principle of priority, God blessed her in ways she never saw coming. And in the same way, when we obey this commandment and live out the principle of priority, we get a front row seat as God shows up and does His thing. And when God shows up, it takes our relationship with Him to a whole new level; our trust in God goes through the roof.
Remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:33: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Does that describe the priority that you’ve placed on your relationship with God? Remember what God says, “Life only works the way it’s supposed to work when you put me first in every area of your life.”