RefinedforChrist

Going to Heaven isn’t the only benefit of putting God first. What if I told you abundant life isn’t reserved for Heaven if you live a life that honors God and puts Him first? You never have to be confused again, never have to worry, or be tormented by evil thoughts, but you can have peace, favor, and guidance that only come by putting God first.

When you honor God the way He should be, He makes it His business that you’re taken care of because a healthy you, a wise you, a wealthy you, benefits God and His kingdom. Things are not one-sided in the Kingdom of Heaven; we put God first, and we benefit in those ways, but God also benefits, as putting His kingdom first means more souls, which is God’s main desire: for everyone to be saved. And that’s the true heart of putting God first, not to live a holier life, though that is part of it, but it’s the heart for the lost—a heart to see those broken, restored and saved so they can meet God in Heaven.

The Benefits of Putting God First in Your Life

One of the greatest benefits of putting God first is experiencing His divine direction, wisdom, and blessings. When we prioritize God in our daily lives, we position ourselves to receive His guidance, walk in obedience to His Word, and experience the peace that comes from trusting Him.

Divine Direction: How to Seek God’s Guidance

One benefit of putting God first is divine direction. God grants this direction only to people who seek His face and His guidance; it is not freely given to the disobedient.

James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” So God wants to give us wisdom and direction, but you have to ask. You don’t get it by being passive; you have to inquire of the Lord, want it for yourself, and seek it through prayer and obedience.

God says in His word that “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” Psalm 32:8 NKJV. This comes after a verse where David claims God as his hiding place, which shows that if God is David’s hiding place, then David must be seeking God out and looking to be in His presence. In return, God says He will instruct David where to go, guide him, and protect him. So, take time to get into your secret place; make God your hiding place, not people, because you will be blessed with His wisdom and instruction.

There Is a Blessing in Divine Direction

The Blessings of Seeking God’s Guidance Instead of Man’s Counsel

Furthermore, we receive a blessing in this direction from God as a result of putting Him first. Since we decided that our instruction comes from God and not people, we have guaranteed ourselves blessing, as Psalm 1:1 says, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.”

When we go to the counsel of God, not man, we let go of the stress that comes with the decision we are about to make and place it on God. God knows best, knows the whole story, and is setting you up for success when you seek His face for guidance.

Trusting God’s Word and Direction

We can depend on Him because God never fails; if He gives us instruction, we can trust it. Isaiah 55:11 says, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” His word never fails or bounces back, so it’s vital that we follow God’s direction; there’s no better place to go.

Putting God First Leads to Blessings Through Obedience

Furthermore, putting God first leads to blessing through divine direction. “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God:” Deuteronomy 28:1-2 NKJV.

Putting God first means diligently obeying. And diligently obeying naturally leads to blessing, as you can see in this Scripture. So, when God tells us to listen to Him and seek His face and guidance, He invites us into the many blessings He has.

You cannot claim to put God first and not do what He says, as we discussed in the last blog.

How to Receive God’s Favor: Putting God First and Living by Faith

What Does It Mean to Have God’s Favor?

Putting God first is making Him the foundation of everything you do. It’s not just engaging with Him before anything else; it is engaging with Him in everything. Once you start doing that, you’ll begin to see His favor everywhere, because you made Him and His kingdom a main concern; therefore, He will make your concerns His main concern.

It is promised to those who seek the Lord that they will never lack any good thing, so as you make God a priority, expect good things to come your way! Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Seeking the Lord is an act of faith, and you can’t get anywhere in life without it. Because as you use your faith to seek Him, believe that He is, He rewards you for that very faith and shows you favor. Seeking God first isn’t to fill His ego, but for many reasons: one, He deserves it. He sent His only Son to die for our sins so we don’t have to live in eternal damnation and separation from God. Two, it is to bless us and protect us.

How Living in God’s Will Brings Favor and Blessings

I can confidently say that every time I was out of God’s will, and ultimately out of His favor, I was not happy; it did not benefit me. However, when I am in God’s will and have His favor, I can see that God wants me in His will because it is truly what is best for me. Being in the will of God is the safest and most blessed place you can be.

Psalm 5:12 says, “For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.”

What Does the Bible Say About God’s Favor?

Let’s break this verse down a little. It starts with “O Lord, will bless the righteous.” So, for the next part of the verse to come into play, you must be righteous. But what is righteousness, what makes a person righteous? Someone who does good? Follows the law? Well, let’s look at the Word.

Habakkuk 2:4 says, “Look at the proud; his soul is not straight or right within him, but the [rigidly] just and the [uncompromisingly] righteous man shall live by his faith and in his faithfulness.”

How Faith in Jesus Christ Makes Us Righteous

Righteous people live by faith because, first, we are not righteous on our own, but by our faith in Jesus Christ, and second, because of that faith, we were called to an uncompromised higher living. However, we cannot live up to that standard on our own, we need Jesus and His spirit to be righteous to live up to that standard.

We must live a certain way to obtain God’s favor; it doesn’t come when you’re living in sin, but it also doesn’t come even if you’re saved. It comes by faith: believing God’s promises, speaking them, and acting in ways that demonstrate your faith in them.

How to Be Intentional About Your Relationship With God

Too many Christians live passive lives, and I can attest I have been a victim of that. Waking up, going to work, saying a quick prayer, reading a chapter, going to church on Sundays, and that’s it. However, God called us to be intentional. He was intentional with Jesus; He was intentional with the Bible, His promises, and His protection. We owe God that same intentionality.

How to Be Intentional About God’s Promises

What is being intentional? Especially when it comes to God’s promises? Well, I can give you the basics, but what God actually wants you to do comes during prayer time. As you seek His face to learn what He wants you to be intentional about, He reveals that to you through your divine purpose. What is purpose? It what God has called us and gifted us to do through His spirit.

All Christians need to pray, read their Bible, go to church, spend time with the Lord, but purpose extends beyond that, and that’s where intentionality comes into play. We all have wonderful gifts and talents God gave us; even if you don’t believe you do, you do, and God wants them used for His Kingdom.

Using Your God-Given Gifts and Talents for His Kingdom

That can shift what your prayer time looks like and what spending time with God looks like. For me, it’s writing blogs and working on all things Refined for Christ; that’s how I make intentional time for God outside of reading my Bible, prayer, church, worship, etc. For my mom, it’s singing; for my sister, it’s dancing. God speaks to us as we do these things and gives us insight on how to utilize these gifts for His kingdom and His purpose.

Living in God’s Purpose and Sharing the Gospel

One thing I learned: there’s a time to pray, a time to do, and a time for both. Figure out what you should be doing right now. Obviously, everyone’s relationship is unique and different, but pray to God: what should you be doing to push Heaven’s agenda? That should consume your life, honestly- God’s purpose for you. When you’re immersed in that, you stop being passive about your relationship with God; it becomes more than just being saved and making it to Heaven. It becomes about sharing God’s goodness, living it out, and bringing others to Jesus and living with purpose.

How God’s Favor Creates Opportunities to Share the Gospel

This is a life that has favor all over it. God gives you favor because it pushes His agenda: that none shall perish. (See 2 Peter 3:9.) When people see the goodness of God all over our lives, see His favor put us into rooms we would’ve never gotten into, positions people only dream of, it provokes them to ask, who do you serve? It then leads to an opportunity to share Jesus!

So prioritizing God puts you in a position to receive His favor, which then becomes an opportunity to share the Gospel with others. Nothing God tells us or wants for us is pointless; it all has meaning and depth. So, let’s take more time to prioritize God, prioritize our God-given purpose, and help people know Jesus.

Finding Peace in God: Bible Verses About Trusting God and Overcoming Worry

The Peace of God: A Benefit of Putting God First

As people who put God first, we get something so many people in the world lack: peace. This, I feel, can be underrated, but it is, I can say, one of the most valuable benefits you can receive from a life with God. Once you know what it feels like to not be in your right mind, to struggle with crippling anxiety, depression, and/or fear, nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, feels better than having the peace of God.

What Does the Bible Say About Finding Peace in God?

Let’s look at the Bible and see what has to be said about peace. Isaiah 26:3-4 says, “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.”

Perfect peace is only allotted to us by having God be the forefront of our minds. When we let people, circumstances, jobs, bills, school, etc., become our focus, it’s easy to get wrapped up and stressed.

How Trusting God Brings Peace in Difficult Times

We must trust in God that He will take care of us no matter what, that His favor will go before us, and truly that we will live out Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

This is your reality as a child of God: that things will work out for your favor, not for your demise, and that should give you peace. When we drift from the Word of God and start looking inward, peace becomes a foreign concept.

Why We Must Put Our Trust in God Instead of Ourselves

Jeremiah 17:5 warns us and says, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the LORD.’”

We cannot trust in ourselves if we want peace, because we will always fall short when God is not involved. God is our maker, our provider, our healer; we cannot do that for ourselves, and that’s where people mess up all the time: they look at themselves and believe they can do it all on their own.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.”

This verse makes it evident that when you trust in God, peace and blessing will automatically follow. It is a guarantee: when you trust God, which only comes by putting Him first, you will have peace; you will flourish in life.

How to Find Peace When Life Feels Overwhelming

If you feel like your life has been a series of feelings of impending doom, or nothing goes right, take a look at your priorities, or if you even have any. Sometimes we fall so deep into the waves of life that we can’t pinpoint what we are putting first; we are just existing. God never called us to live that way, but to live a life that fully surrenders and trusts Him, so He can move in our lives the way He pleases.

Romans 8:6 says, “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

Living a spiritual life of putting God in His rightful place is where you feel most fulfilled, joyful, and peaceful. I promise you, nothing compares. You truly do not have to worry because you have a Father in Heaven who is there whenever you need Him.

How to Find Lasting Peace Through Jesus Christ

However, if you have never accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, but you find yourself in desperate need of peace, a life change, or something to turn around, I invite you to accept Jesus now and let Him completely change your life!

A Prayer to Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior

Say this prayer:

“Dear Heavenly Father, I repent of my sins and turn my back to them; I believe Jesus is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for my sins and rose on the third day. I accept Him into my heart now; I confess with my mouth and believe with my heart Jesus is Lord. By faith, I give Him my whole life, heart, mind, and soul. Amen!”

Your Next Steps in Your Walk With Christ

If you said this prayer, comment below and fill out the contact form! I want to help you get connected to the body of Christ in your city and support you on this journey! Giving your life to Jesus is the first step; now, continually putting Him first is the second, because the devil will try to get you back, but don’t worry- God overcomes all! You are more than a conqueror in Christ and can do all things through Christ who strengthens you! You just made the best decision of your life!

I hope this helped, and God bless!