First in Priority

One of the themes you’ll see in Jesus First, Jesus Always is that Jesus is first in priority. As difficult as we may find it to admit, there are a lot of things that we place before God in priority; there are plenty of things that take first place before God in our lives. They may be big, foundational views that we elevate higher than Him. They may also be subtle, hidden things that we may not even particularly consider as higher in priority to us. It requires considerate self-analysis to identify what things we prioritize before God and it requires honest humility to put God in His rightful place. 

Jesus is first in priority, whether we view Him as such or not. The challenge of our lives is to remove the things that creep into that place of priority and reserve it only for Jesus. Some of the most common areas that demand first priority in our lives include responsibilities, relationships, and possessions. If we aren’t careful, we’ll take the priority that only Jesus deserves and misplace on things that can never fully satisfy us.  As you can see in this passage from Luke, Jesus expects his followers to give God and only God the place of priority in their lives. No excuses. 

“As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:57-62 NIV