The other day I was watching a show that featured one of the most amazing jugglers I have ever seen. There wasn’t anything this guy couldn’t juggle. Of course after watching this man make juggling look so easy, I decided to go to my own fruit basket and give it a try. I have a confession to make. I discovered that I am the worst juggler ever. Maybe you have never tried to juggle oranges before, but chances are there have been times in your life that life itself has seemed like a juggling act. It reminds me of this verse. . .
Col 1:18
He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
Have you ever wondered what it really means to have Jesus first place in everything? We really should be asking that question since Paul, the author of Colossians, took the time to write it down and point it out to us.
To be in first place means that you are in the front position ready to cross the finish line before any one else.
For me, life tends to be more like a juggling act then a race. Between responsibilities at work, responsibilities at home, taking the kids to their activities, visiting family and friends, exercising, along with many other little tasks, it can become a challenge to have Jesus in the first place position. The reason we all tend to get off track on this one is because Jesus never shouts at us for our attention. Our jobs shout at us. Our families shout at us. Our finances shout at us, but Jesus? Never! Have you ever heard the expression “the squeaky wheel gets all the grease."? Unfortunately sometimes we use up all the grease on different parts of our life and then have nothing left for God.
Here is a little test for you to take right now. Jesus is to be first place in everything, so here are some tough questions to see how you are doing on this. . . How is Jesus first place in your marriage? In other words, what are you doing that demonstrates that He is in the lead position in your marriage? If Jesus really were in first place with your marriage, would the conversation about divorce even happen? Here is another one. . . How is Jesus first place in your career? Again, what are you doing that demonstrates He is in the lead position in your career? If He really was, do you think that you would be an unproductive worker or an employee who is known for badmouthing his boss behind his back? Ok…ready for the next one yet?. . .I didn’t think so, but here it goes anyway. . . How is Jesus first place in your money? (Money is part of the "everything" Paul wrote about.) In other words, what are you doing with your money that demonstrates He is leading you with your money? If He is really in first place with your money, do you think that you would be going so much in debt? Let’s do one more. How is Jesus first place with your time? This is our most precious commodity, even more than money. Money comes and goes, but time just goes! Let me rephrase this question. . What are you doing with your time that demonstrates He is in the lead with your schedule? If He is, do you think that you still would miss so many services at church? We could go on and on, but you get the idea.
It is easier said than done, right? However, before we get too involved with how to make Jesus have first place in everything, I think I need to point out why Paul even wrote it down in the first place. Once you better understand the why, it will become easier to do the how.
First of all, God does not want you to do it because He needs His ego stroked. He wants to have first place so that He can lead us. God knows we get lost way to easy. God has a destination marked out for us, but the only way we will arrive there is by following Him because He is the one who knows the way. Matter of fact, Jesus declared in John 14:6 that He is the way! The other part of Colossians 1:18 says that Jesus is the head and the church is the body. Do you think you would have a difficult time navigating yourself through the city if you didn’t have a head attached to your body? The closest thing I have seen to this is a chicken that got its head chopped off at one of my friend’s house when I was little. After the ax fell and the head popped off, the chicken’s body went crazy running all over the yard until finally it just fell to the ground. God wants to be first place so you won’t have to go through life like that chicken. You will only be able to run around like that for so long and then one day you will just drop to the ground. God has a promise land life for us, but the only way we will make it there is by putting Him first!
The second reason why Jesus is to have first place in everything is because God wants you to be a more faith-oriented person, trusting more in Him than in yourself or your stuff. What are you really involved in that you are having to trust God for? Most of the time, it is only when life hands you some troubles that you put God in front of the rest. When you do this, He actually does move for you. This is why Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the kingdom of God and everything else will be added unto you.” Every time God does move, it becomes a new reminder that He loves you and it allows you to become that much closer with your Savior. In other words, God uses those moments to build up your faith in Him.
The bible is full of amazing events that unfolded when God’s people chose to place Him first. King Jehoshaphat put God first in a battle by placing the Praise band in front of the army. They ended up winning the war, even though they were outgunned and outnumbered. The three men in the book of Daniel (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) chose to place God first instead of bowing down to a golden statue. They ended up dancing in the midst of a furnace with Jesus and came out unburned. Daniel had a similar story. A decree went out from the king declaring it illegal to pray to God. Daniel chose to place God first, even in front of the law. Because of that, he was thrown into a den full of lions, but came out the next morning very much alive and unharmed.
Now that you understand why Jesus wants to be first place in everything, the how becomes a lot less complicated. Really, it all comes down to a personal choice. To place God first does not mean you have to stop juggling all that you have going on. It simply means that you hand the juggling balls to Jesus and let Him do it for you. This is the only way you will be able to know Him and find the abundant life that He has promised for you to have.
If you have some great tips on how you have been able to make Jesus first in difficult areas of your life, feel free to join the conversation. Post a comment at the end of this article and let everyone know how you did it.
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