God First
One of the biggest takeaways I’ve had so far in coaching is that the majority of my clients desire a closer relationship with God, they want to put God first in their life, but when it comes down to it they just don’t do it.
What this shows me is they are stuck in old habits, they’ve done life in a certain way for so long, that they don’t know where to start with putting God first in ALL things. And this was me too, but with grief, I was forced into a new desperation for God. It was an emotional impact that pushed me into a quantum leap, that forced me into changing my habits.
One thing that motivated me to start coaching, is I wished I had clearer eyes to see that I wasn’t putting God first before and I wanted to share this revelation with others, to encourage them to put God first now, and not wait for an emotional impact to jolt them.
One might wonder, why has putting God first in my life been so impactful? We all go through ups and downs, joys and tragedies in our lives and being anchor’d in God’s promise of eternal life is like the anchor in a boat, holding you in one place, calmly in peace, amidst the storms of life. What I learned when the biggest tragedy hit me is that I was not anchor’d in God’s truth, I loved God and believed in God, but I didn’t fully trust him; I hadn’t fully surrendered to His plan and His promise of Heaven. So I had to start there first and ask myself, what do I truly believe about God? I made a definite decision in that moment to fully surrender to God, in a new way that I hadn’t done before and this sparked me on a journey of reading the Bible in a new way, and led me asking to know God’s heart more.
Through this journey of searching and learning, I took a prayer class at my church where I learned in depth about how Jesus prayed and what he taught the disciples about prayer. I used to think of prayer as just a to-do on my list, making sure God knew that I was grateful, that I loved him, and asking him for all that I needed. Which are all great things and he does want us to do, but what I came to learn in this prayer class was that God didn’t just want to be a to-do on my list, he wanted a true relationship with me. The Hebrew translation of prayer is to harmonize our hearts with God’s heart. When you think of having a “heart to heart” with a friend, that’s when you go deep, get vulnerable, ask questions, and really feel like you know the other person. Well this is what God wants too, he wants to commune with us, and he wants us to want to commune with him - heart to heart.
So to go back to the top here when someone wants to be closer to God, how do they start? First, asking the question, what do I really believe about God? Then making a definite decision to fully surrender and trust in His plan. From there just like with any relationship you have, you have to put in the time and effort. Build a habit of harmonizing your heart with God’s heart through prayer, reading God’s word and meditation in your Secret Place with God. Before Jesus did anything on Earth, he made a point to have private communication with God, He sought God first in all things. So to build that habit, start with once a day spending time with God. Then over time, going to God first before a friend, before a family member with what is on your mind - bring it all to Him first.
Romans 12:2 :Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”
Renewing your mind is bringing all your thoughts to God first, working out things with Him first, handing over your thoughts, desires, struggles - all of it to Him and once you fully surrender all of it to Him, you will find the anchor of peace that you’ve always been searching for.
Father God, thank you for today, thank you for every person reading this Blog. I pray that they encounter your peace and love in a new way today. I pray they seek to know your heart, that they have a daily heart to heart with you and set their mind on Heaven. I pray you show us all how we can continue to spread your love and grace in this broken world. We love you so much. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.