JESUS FIRST

Matthew 6:24^ESV – No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Jesus does not compete for second place

I wonder how many readers stopped reading with that scripture mentioning money.  We can identify another way of looking at it in

2 Timothy 3:1-5^ESV – ¹But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. ² For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, ⁴ treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

Jesus does not compete for second place

God has launched many of my desires while teaching me to prioritize with His Word in Matthew 6:33 that reads “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

We approached a trusted advisor to ask for their opinion on why we had lost our young adults in our discipleship class.  He answered with “because my husband and I were constantly reiterating, ‘Come Lord Jesus, Come’.” Though many in that class agreed with our statement and knew we were referring to the rapture, we now realize we were dismissing a whole generation of young people.

This young man gave us food for thought.  He advised us that young adults still have their lives to live; they are climbing the ladder of success and looking forward to marriage and raising a family. Indeed, at that age, so was I.

In a recent mentoring class, I had the privilege to relay this information to the older generation. In our discussion, we acknowledged we need to be more aware of THE PERSON we are talking to and listening to, and to ensure our mentee identifies with our advice and counseling. If not, we are wasting their time and ours. We are not to be the person who likes to hear ourselves talk, thinking we are full of wisdom that others must hear. We need to take into consideration the level of maturity and the heart of the hearer.  Above all, the most important part to remember is: it’s all about Jesus, not us. We must teach all the generations that keeping JESUS FIRST is the priority of life.  John 10:10 tells us that Jesus came to give us life abundantly.  But we must put Him first out of our love for Him, not to receive or get things.  We cannot manipulate Him; He knows our hearts, so don’t try.

New Beginnings

I recently heard this quote that I am going to adopt:

“New Beginnings don’t start with turning a calendar page,

They start by turning to Jesus.”

Knowing that every new year fills my mind with New Beginnings, I forever remember when the Lord spoke these words to me. We were moving from one town to another, we were leaving the home we raised our children in, leaving the friends we shared twenty years with, and the area where we spiritually matured.  I was stopped at the last stop light leaving that area. Tears were flowing down my cheeks and filling my eyes to the point that I could hardly see my husband’s vehicle in front of me. I was not going willingly, for part of my heart was staying behind. So softly the Master spoke these words, “New Beginning”. A twinge of excitement touched my soul at these words, knowing that a path with God is always best and, at the very least, interesting. I consoled myself that God was leading us and reminded myself of all the scriptures that I could remember in that moment:

• that He would continue leading us,
• that He would not forsake us,
• that He was opening more doors than I could imagine,
• and goodness and mercy would follow us all the days of our lives.

Today I can proclaim as the Word does, “Do not despise small beginnings”, for “With God, ALL things are possible”.  God’s best always brings new adventures, with “joy unspeakable and full of glory”.

At this stage of my life, I find myself discerning another New Beginning.  Let me encourage every reader to understand that life will bring unending New Beginnings, and that if you prioritize JESUS FIRST, you will stay aligned with His perfect will.  You may not know exactly what it is until you surrender, but surrender.  With each new step, doors will close, doors will open.  Our job is to trust and obey.  Get excited for the next chapter of your life.

What do you need?

What do you desire?

Have you put JESUS FIRST?

New Beginnings don’t start with turning a calendar page,

They start by turning to JESUS!

Notes:

1. If you are new to this blog, please understand that I have a ministry in discipleship, so I challenge you and encourage you to grow in your personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
2. All scripture is taken from NKJV and NLT unless otherwise noted.
3. More blogs can be viewed at the following sites:

• debiayers.com
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4. To purchase your copy of “Tea Time With God; Treasures of the Heart”, click here
5. I also authored a series of books titled “The Adventures of Maddie and Her Papaw”, which are sold on Amazon.