"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."(Matthew 6:33)
"And anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." (Matthew 10:38-39)
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2)
What all these verses have in common? Putting God first. God should be our number one priority, because without Him, life is meaningless. We aren't even worthy of salvation if we aren't striving to put Him first (Matthew 10:38).
In this society we live in, putting God before the things in our life isn't normal. In fact, we're called to be the very opposite of the world (Romans 12:2), and instead, focusing on God's will for us (rather than meaningless material things).
But how to do it? Well, pray. Our strength is found in knowing Christ, and to know Christ, we need to communicate with Him. Read the Bible. How can we know God's will without reading what He has to say? God has spoken very clearly through the Bible, and we need to be reading it in order to hear from Him! We also need to seek Him with our whole heart and look for opportunities to share the Gospel. Don't be ashamed of Christ! Remember it says in Matthew 10:38 that we aren't worthy of Him if we don't take up our own cross to follow Him (daily).
What not to do? Make excuses to God. Don't make an excuse for lacking in prayer, reading the Bible, and not sharing the Gospel. Instead, work towards these disciplines, and God will be there every step of the way. Will we be perfect? No, but that's why God is here to help us.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to put You first in my life and realize that I am unworthy of Your love, yet You love me anyway. Help me put You above what I want for myself, because You are the only thing that matters in the end. You're the only One who can save, and I thank You for that. Build me up according to Your Word so that I can share your gospel with those who need it, those we are living in rebellion against You and don't know the hope you offer. In Jesus name, Amen.
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Hey girls! I hope you gained some encouragement from reading this devotional. Remember, you are beautiful, loved, and I am praying for you! <3
xox Aria