Thank God It’s Friday! Four magical words greeted with exhilaration and which signal the end of the workweek for millions of working people. For some of us, tired from weekends that seem far too short, we start looking forward to Friday from the time we get up on Monday! No matter how bad a week we are having, there is something about the “magical” Friday that puts a pep in our step and seems to flood our bodies with feel-good hormones. It is as if for the next two days we can leave behind the hustle and bustle of life and its challenges.
However, what if we were to wake up every day and declare TGIF? No, not as in “Thank God It’s Friday” but rather, “Today God Is First”? Ezra Taft Benson puts it this way, “When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives.” There is a lot of truth in that statement. Invariably, whatever we put first becomes our priority. There are times when it is our material needs that sit at the forefront of our minds and which consume our thinking.
Jesus affirmed the importance of putting God first when He states, “Therefore do not worry or be anxious (perpetually uneasy, distracted), saying, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or ‘What are we going to drink?’ or ‘What are we going to wear?’ For the [pagan] Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; [but do not worry,] for your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also” (Matthew 6:31-33, AMP).
It would be pointing out the obvious to note that if Jesus said so then it must be true; above all else, seek first the kingdom of God. Centuries earlier the proverb writer declared, “In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success” (see Proverbs 3:5-6, TLB). There is no other priority that we can establish that is able to transcend that of putting God first. It is no wonder that Abraham Lincoln, while president of the United States, lamented, “I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for the day.” By putting God first, we can rest comfortably in the knowledge that He knows what He is doing. More importantly, He knows what is best.
So, how about it? TGIF – Today God Is First! You do not have to wait until Friday to reorder your priorities. You can start doing so any day of the week. Whatever you do, put Him first. Make it a habit to do so daily. No one or nothing else matters as much.
Author
Poll
