When the Holy Spirit tells me to leave a lucrative business that my company started a year ago to follow my blogging career, it sounded crazy to me.
As part of the management team that makes top management decisions at the time, it was very challenging for me to leave the project. It might hurt the business and, of course, the income.
But, God’s direction was clear. It was at that time that my faith was tested.
I had to put God’s plan or mine first.
Blogging is a hard business. It won’t pay off in a few months or even a few years. How will we pay the bills until the blog stands on its feet and starts to support our family?
Although I have known blogging is my calling for years and I have been doing it on and off, I was hesitant to leave the good-paying job that I had for the calling I knew I had in my heart for years.
In this busy world we are living in, where every activity seems important and urgent, putting God first above all our priorities might be challenging. Knowingly or unknowingly, we’re caught in tons of excuses that prevent us from putting God’s plan first in our life.
The Issue of Self-righteousness – “I can do it”
The “I can do it” attitude seems all over the place now; at work, home, church, on TV, on Social Media, Internet, and everywhere.
We’re taught to rely on our knowledge, understanding, and connections to achieve success.
“Look inside you. Know your talents and passions. Look at the successful people ahead of you. Follow their example and you’ll be successful too.“
“Stand still all by yourself. You can do it.”
That is the everyday lie we hear from the world and we may sometimes find ourselves following and practicing it. That seems the definition of being Independent, Strong, and Successful.
The Bible teaches us;
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Knowing your talents and following the successful people who made it alone won’t make you reach your target, especially as a Christian.
As Christians, we are here by his will and to accomplish his will. This is only achieved by putting him and his will above all things in our life. We need his guidance and direction every day, every second and for every single activity we carry out.
Putting God first is an act of righteousness. We can’t be righteous without his Grace.
It is not something that comes naturally right away when we believe it is the right thing to do. Putting God first needs prayer and the Grace of God.
We are busy: We should “Get it all done”
Everything is a priority and important. Our days are filled with top priorities every single day.
We need to get up early, prepare the kids for school, go to work and reach the office on time. There is too much on our plate to accomplish at the office in a single day; emails, meetings, activities, reports, phone calls, and deadlines….
Get back home, cook meals, and help kids with homework and studies.
Then, the same routine goes on every day.
Excellence is needed everywhere.
Tight deadlines should be met. Kids should be at the top of their class.
We need to live in a good house and drive a recent model car. We need recent mobile phones, computers, and technologies.
We need to pay bills after bills on time. A healthy and balanced meal should be put on the table for the family throughout the week. It’s important to stay fit and do workouts.
We are super busy. Everything needs to be perfect, right, and in order.
Our lives revolve around attaining material needs, achieving success, and being perfect; Being on top.
The Bible teaches us in Matthew 6:31 – 34
Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Things that take up all our time shouldn’t be our top priorities.
Yes, we should do all of them, but NOT as a priority.
Our priority should be, according to the Bible, giving time for God, Praying, seeking his guidance every day, and following him step by step.
Set a time to be quiet with God and listen to his voice every day. Pray and study the Bible. Know his plans for your day. Hours and days are his gifts. He gave us every hour to accomplish his Holy plan that benefits us and the people around us.
As a full-time blogger and a Mom of two, there is too much on my plate every day.
Writing posts, Researching Topics, Creating Pinterest Pins, Scheduling on Tailwind, answering emails, Taking care of the kids, helping them with their homework and studies, worksheets, class tests, mid and final exams, … the list of my daily activities seems endless.
I am overwhelmed, and tired, and always have something on my mind.
God thought me to put aside prayer time every day, to listen to his voice, to plan my daily activity with him, and read and study the Bible before anything else.
I wake up at 6:00 am in the morning and hand over my day to him. Then I prepare my kids for school and my husband for work.
After my husband and kids went to school and work, before checking my inbox, developing a post idea, or designing a pin; I first open my Bible and ask God’s guidance for the day. I plan my day with him.
My day gets direction. I feel secure feeling God is with me. I feel courageous and I believe all things will work out to their best as just God has intended for them.
It always surprises me how I have more time for everything and how I can do them better when I had my time set with God.
I get all the courage and the energy in the morning to do my daily activities as a blogger, and take care of my family, my home, and everything.
Finally
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord.
Colossians 3:23
As Christians, making God our priority is what we have been called for. He called us to rest, peace, and eternal life.
Putting him before ourselves or anything else will give us the restful life he intended to give us.
God is faithful. His intention for us is love. Sometimes, following his plans and direction doesn’t seem to bring results the sooner we need it.
But, we should trust and follow him by putting him first in our life.
Moses doesn’t know the road to the land which gives honey and milk. Only God knows. But he is absolutely sure that the cloud and the fire that God, put in front of him make no mistake at all.
He is caring, loving, and deeply concerned about the people and he has the capacity and the willingness to make his promise happen.
In a new city that we have never been to, we use GPS to lead us to a destination we are looking for putting all our trust in the GPS. We believe that it won’t lie and help us reach there.
We trust and follow wherever it is leading us and we will finally end up at our destination.
That is the type of dependency God requires from us, trusting his guidance and following him accordingly; Putting him first daily.
