Christianity is simple.
So simple in fact that Christ Himself summarized it in only 2 commandments (Matthew 22:37-40):
- Love God with all your heart, mind, and soul.
- Love your neighbor as yourself.
People talk about the love your neighbor part all the time, but what about the first, and greatest commandment?
That’s what I’ll cover here today.
Keeping God First
A lot of people, myself included, summarize the first commandment with the phrase “keeping God first”.
It’s a simple expression that says our relationship to Him is our highest priority—it’s more important than our jobs, our spouses, and our personal desires.
But why is keeping God first so important?
Well for one, He deserves it.
But another reason is because we all have a void inside of us that only He can fill. And if God doesn’t fill that spot, we’ll try to fill that emptiness with plenty of cheap imitations.
This void is what the speaker in Ecclesiastes refers to when he says that God has “set eternity in the heart of man” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
We all have an awareness that this life isn’t all there is, and we know we need a solution to the problem that fact presents. That’s one reason why the author comes to the conclusion that keeping God first is “man’s all” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
You can’t find satisfaction without that most important relationship because everything else flows outward from it.
So to give you some practical examples of why all this is important, I’ll show you 5 common pitfalls you’ll avoid if you keep God first.
#1 Pedastalizing
The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe. (Proverbs 29:25 NKJV)
One notable change that occurs when you keep God first is that you begin to see the world like He sees it. And that means you start to see people as, well, people.
The status signals others care so much about become meaningless to you.
Sure you still love and respect others, but you don’t view any person as being more valuable than another.
And this new perspective changes everything about your social interactions:
- Walk past the best quarterback in the nation between classes? Pretty cool.
- Eat lunch at the table with your company’s CEO? Nice.
- Girl next to you looks like a model on her Instagram? Good for her.
Titles, status, public opinion, none of those will affect you as much as they did before. Yes those are all good talking points, but none of them are reason to believe anyone has more worth as a person.
And this change doesn’t stop with just bringing celebrities down to earth.
You also start to see the people who were invisible to you before. And you realize that the ones who you didn’t want to associate with are actually some of the most enjoyable people to be around.
That’s not to say that all people with social status are snobs. It’s just that you’ll see people for who they are instead of what they are. And that right there is something special.
#2 Addictions
Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. (Matthew 22:37-38 NKJV)
If you make a habit of leaving your spouse to hang with your friends, chances are your relationship will go downhill. Likewise, any addiction you have will pull you further and further away from God.
But when you decide to keep Him first, you’ll see addictions for what they really are—a waste. They’re a waste of time and energy that could be used to glorify God and serve others.
Pornography, drugs, alcohol, videogames, workaholism, they’ve all got a hold on a large part of the population. But no matter what addiction it is, it’s all worthless in the long run.
Sure things like videogames are harmless in small amounts, and I always stress the importance of a strong work ethic. But when those activities dominate your life at the expense of what’s important, you gotta take a step back.
Now I hope that doesn’t sound like I take addictions lightly—I know they’re tough to overcome and I encourage you to seek medical help if you need it.
But the good news is that self-control is one of the many characteristics of a believer (Galatians 5:22-23). And that strength God provides will help you if you stay focused on Him.
#3 Laziness
And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:23-24 NKJV)
So I just mentioned workaholism in the previous section. But another change that occurs is that you’ll avoid the other extreme too.
People might read some articles here and get the impression that I’m about chasing money or creating needless competition. But while I am a natural competitor, neither of those reasons are my true motivation.
Everyone knows what it’s like to scramble back to work when their boss turns the corner. Well I have the knowledge that my Boss is always watching me. And His standards are much higher than any person who happens to be in charge.
The problem with laziness is similar to the one I described earlier about addictions—it’s a waste. While addictions place your time and energy into the wrong areas, laziness prevents you from even using those resources.
But when you have a personal responsibility and you know you’ll be held accountable for it, the last thing you’ll want to do is stay in bed.
#4 Materialism
And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” (Luke 12:15 NKJV)
One of the biggest changes you’ll notice when you keep God first is that you won’t want things like you used to—but don’t confuse this with minimalism.
The difference here is that you won’t force yourself to live with less because the desire for more will be gone.
Now that doesn’t mean possessions in themselves are bad. I still like nice stuff after all, and I have an eye for products that fit my personal taste.
But my desire to have nice things never becomes a need to get them. I’ll be the first person to put something down if it’s not worth the price tag.
People compliment my clothes all the time, but I can’t help but laugh when I think of the other 4 outfits I pulled off the same clearance rack.
Everyone expects you to buy all the stuff your paycheck allows, but that’s a dangerous mentality to have.
You have to learn to be content. Otherwise, you’ll just keep buying and buying.
When you keep God first though, you won’t need to grab everything in sight. You’ll already have Someone who supplies all your needs. And this leads me to the last point…
#5 Worrying
And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. (Luke 12: 29-31 NKJV)
Knowing that Someone cares enough about you to meet your needs is a real comfort. Because on the surface, this world is clouded in uncertainty.
Not only do we worry about outcomes, but the decision overload technology provides keeps us from ever feeling certain.
Just take one step outside your comfort zone and this is all you’ll hear:
- “But how are you gonna…”
- “Don’t you know that…”
- “What about if…”
It’s all fear.
Sure there’s no need to be reckless, but think about this for a second: Has worrying ever changed your results?
If anything it made them worse because worrying hurts your performance in the moment.
And this is why worrying and contentment are so closely related. There’s no need to worry if you’re content with God meeting your real needs.
If you’re cool with Him meeting the bare necessities, then the best case scenario will be that much more enjoyable. But if you’re so worried that all you can focus on is what you need, you won’t see all the good that can happen.
They All Fall Down
Pedestalizing, addictions, laziness, materialism, and worrying. Those are 5 common pitfalls you’ll avoid by obeying the first, and most important commandment.
Do that, and you’ll see that life becomes a lot like dominoes—take care of the first problem, and the other ones fall in line.
So tell me if there’s anything else I could add to this list. And if you have experience with avoiding any of these pitfalls, let me know in the comments.
-Drew
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