Is God a Priority in Your Life?

Stop for a moment and reflect on the past 24 hours. Do a quick tally on your time – how much time did you spend working? Playing? Taking care of your family? Taking care of yourself? Doing housework? Add whatever categories you need to this tally. Now, how much time did you spend with God?

You know, when I was younger, I used to wonder why others seemed to “feel” God’s presence more in their lives than I did. I believed in Him, I loved Him, and yet, I felt like I couldn’t hear Him speaking to me. Then last year, I started spending far more time in prayer and Bible study. Can you guess what happened? The closer I drew to God, the closer I felt to God and the more I could see His fingerprints in my life.

Then life got busy. And stressful. And each day because more of a juggling act. Instead of leaning on God even more, I kind of pulled away again. He’s still there – in my heart and mind but I’ve definitely pushed Him to the back. So, it’s time to take some time to look at where God is – and isn’t – in my life (because of my own choices) and where I could work on letting Him back in.

My checklist – Is God a Priority in my Life?

1. Am I spending time in prayer? When was the last time I had a chat with God? Am I praising Him, thanking Him, asking Him for help? Do I only pray when I need something from God? Conversation with someone you love and who loves you is an important part of every relationship. It brings you closer together.
2. Am I spending time studying my Bible? The more I get to know God, the stronger our relationship will be.
3. Have I been talking with others about God? Reaching out in fellowship with other Christians can help to affirm our beliefs and make us feel less alone in our journey.
4. When it’s time to make a decision, do I include God in the process? God should come first in all things – am I placing Him in the proper place on my priority list?
5. Am I donating money to church and/or charity? As Christians we should be examples of love and generosity. It’s too easy to say I can’t afford to donate money and yet, I have enough to pay for little splurges that I want vs. need.
6. When was the last time I was in church? Gathering together in fellowship, setting aside time to praise God together with others, singing, praying…it can all be so uplifting and remind us of just how much we love God and just how important He is to us.
7. What am I spending my time on? Is it something that is uplifting and meaningful in my spiritual journey or does it instead lead me to sin? It’s easy to say I don’t have time to go to church or to pray or to study my Bible but yet, I seem to find time for social media or watching TV or reading for pleasure.
8. What attitudes do I bring to my relationship with God? Do I eagerly head to church on Sundays or do I try to find excuses not to go? Do I only reach for God when it’s “convenient” for me or do I do so at all times? God should be number one in our lives every single moment of every single day.

It’s not always easy to be a “good” Christian and to make God the top priority in your life but it is the most important thing you can do in your life. Do it with joy in your heart and everything else will fall into place. I know that last year when I was striving to do so, I not only felt closer to God, I also felt the happiest I’ve ever been. I felt calm and at peace no matter what was happening in my life. God was the foundation for everything else I was doing and that foundation made my house the strongest it could possibly be. But recently, I’m letting the “I don’t have time” excuse creep in while I spend far too much time getting sucked into my work. It’s time for a change.

What about you? Where do you struggle in making God a priority in your life?