Have you ever felt like something was missing in your Christian walk? Maybe you've checked all the boxes: you attend church regularly, listen to Christian radio, avoid sinful behaviors. Yet you still feel a sense of emptiness or dissatisfaction. I believe what's often missing isn't more religious activity but a fundamental reordering of priorities. That's what our series "Jesus First, Jesus Always" is all about: examining what truly comes first in our lives.

When "But First" Gets in the Way

In Luke 9:57-62, Jesus encounters three individuals who express interest in following Him, but each has conditions. One man enthusiastically declares, "I will follow you wherever you go," yet Jesus discerns that this man hasn't counted the cost. To another man, Jesus issues a direct invitation: "Follow me." The man's response is telling: "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."

To our modern ears, this sounds like a reasonable request. Surely Jesus would allow someone to attend a funeral! But in that culture, "let me go bury my father" didn't mean the father was already dead. It meant, "I need to fulfill my family obligations until my father passes away and I receive my inheritance." Essentially, he was saying, "I'll follow you someday after my current life plan is complete."

Does that sound familiar? How often do we say:

"I want to serve God, but I'm in school right now." 

"I'll get involved once I finish my degree." 

"Once I find a spouse..." 

"After the kids are older..." 

"When work settles down..."

We're always waiting for that perfect moment when life feels settled enough to follow Jesus wholeheartedly. But Jesus is saying, "Do it now. I'm inviting you into a brand new life. Are you going to make me first or not?"

Your Talent Has Kingdom Purpose

Jesus gave you your talent for a reason. The skills, abilities, and experiences you've developed, even those that seem ordinary or unspectacular, have divine purpose when surrendered to Him.

Aristotle said, "We are what we repeatedly do." What consumes your time and energy reveals what's truly first in your life. But here's the beautiful truth: Jesus doesn't ask you to abandon your talents. Instead, He wants to repurpose them for the Kingdom.

Consider the fishermen disciples. In Matthew 4:18-20, Jesus approaches Peter and Andrew as they're casting their nets into the sea. His invitation is profound: "Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people." Jesus didn't tell them to stop fishing altogether. He transformed their understanding of what fishing could accomplish.

Jesus isn't asking what you do for a living. He's asking what you're living to do.

Your Past Prepares You for Kingdom Purpose

One of my favorite examples is David. Before facing Goliath, David explained to King Saul:

"Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them..." (1 Samuel 17:34-36)

David didn't have experience fighting giants, but he understood that his past, those seemingly insignificant days shepherding in the fields, had prepared him for this moment. His time in the field wasn't wasted; it was training for reigning in the kingdom.

Later, David's experience as a shepherd would inspire one of the most beloved passages in Scripture: "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters" (Psalm 23:1-2). Had David never experienced the mundane task of shepherding, we wouldn't have this profound picture of God's care.

"What's In Your Hand?"

Moses offers another powerful example. After fleeing Egypt as a murderer, Moses spent 40 years as a shepherd before God called him at age 80. When God spoke through the burning bush, Moses responded with excuses: "I'm nobody. I can't speak eloquently. I have no power or authority."

God's response? "What's in your hand?" (Exodus 4:2)

Moses held a simple shepherd's staff, just a stick, nothing special. But when surrendered to God, that ordinary staff became an instrument of divine authority. It transformed into a serpent before Pharaoh, struck the Nile to turn it to blood, and ultimately parted the Red Sea when Moses lifted it over the waters (Exodus 14:16).

What's in your hand today? What skills, resources, or experiences has God given you that might seem ordinary but could become extraordinary when dedicated to Him?

Making Jesus First Changes Everything

When I first married my beautiful wife, I laid out my ridiculous weekly schedule centered around watching football. Saturdays were for college games, Sundays for NFL, plus Monday Night Football and Thursday games. My life was structured around my priorities, not hers, and certainly not God's.

But something amazing happened as we spent time together. I realized I was having more fun with her than watching the games. My priorities naturally shifted. I didn't stop loving football; I just started loving her more. I had made it "Jeff first, Jeff always," but love rearranged my priorities.

Jesus First, Jesus Always isn't just a motto. It's a mirror that reveals what's truly first in your life. And Jesus isn't asking to be next in line. As the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End (Revelation 22:13), He deserves first place in every area.

Stop Despising What's In Your Hand

Many of us either overvalue our talents (making them an idol) or undervalue them (thinking they have no spiritual significance). Both perspectives miss the truth:

• David didn't wait to become king to be obedient. He wrote psalms in a field and fought giants with what he already had.
• Moses didn't wait for a miracle to start believing. God used what was already in his hand.
• Peter didn't quit fishing. He just stopped fishing for himself. Jesus repurposed his gift.

He'll do the same for you.

Stop despising what you're good at. Stop demeaning what's in your hand. Stop serving your own plan.

Start dedicating your talent to Jesus. Start surrendering your timeline to Jesus. Start living the life you were meant to live, not by adding Jesus to your priorities, but by making Him your first and only priority.

Because the life you were meant to live begins when you decide to make every day Jesus First, Jesus Always.

What's first in your life today? Whatever it is, that's what you're living for. But it's never too late to rearrange those priorities and discover the purpose God has prepared for you.

To read more on this subject, check out Pastor Jeffrey Smith's book "Jesus First, Jesus Always," available here.