By Rhema
In the first few months of the year, people have many resolutions that they strive to fulfill such as losing weight, eating more healthy, working out daily, saving money, spending more time with the Lord, etc. People make resolutions, but by the end of the first couple months of the year, most people give up on them. They give up because they tried too hard to do too many things, and didn’t organize their goals so that they could everything done. It isn’t good to be in the habit of giving up so easily. However, even if you have given up on goals already this year, or in the past, it’s never too late to work on your goals, especially the most important one, which is seeking God.
God is the most important thing in our lives. The Bible says that we need to put God first. “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Deuteronomy 5:7, NIV) However, you may wonder, ‘how will I do this’? Knowing myself, it seems that almost every minute of every day of the week is taken up by some important activity. I have school, sports, church, and not to mention, homework! It seems that there is hardly time for other activities, like reading my Bible and worshiping God. But, God asked us to put Him first. There is no point in living, other than to serve Him. To be honest, if you and I look at our lives, we have SO much extra time. Sure, we all have our busy days, but honestly, look at how much time we are spending on social media, Netflix, in the car, and how many extra activities we spontaneously take on to hang with our friends. Those things aren’t bad, but if we are putting them before our Heavenly Father then it is a BIG problem. At first, it can be tricky trying to be consistent in making time for God, and I need help with this. But, it is very important to get in the habit of making time for Him in our daily lives.
4 Ways to Prioritize Jesus Time:
Look at Each Day: To start your week, take a few minutes on the weekend and look at each day. For me, I have different things going on at different times during the week. So, for me each day will look different in how and when I spend time with the Lord.
Pick a Time: Once you look at each day, pick a time that is free to spend with the Lord. It might involve sacrificing time, sleep, or hanging with friends, but let me tell you, it WILL be worth it!!
Make a Reminder: In order to make sure that you stick to doing what you committed to do, make a reminder! You can do this on your phone, paper, or even have someone like a parent hold you accountable and have them remind you to spend time with the Lord at the designated time you have set aside.
DO IT! Now all that’s left to do is to do it! After a while of you drawing near to God, it will become a habit. During these times you can pray, worship, or read you Bible. Be creative! There are so many ways to draw near to God. You could even journal your thoughts to Him!
It doesn’t take much to put God first. Sure, it will cost sacrificing some things, but Jesus sacrificed His life for us! Sacrificing something like Netflix doesn’t seem like such a big deal when you compare the two! It will take work to be consistent in this, but having God as you best friend makes it SO worth it!!
Rhema is an 8th grader in Spokane. She is on ASB at school and knows her mission at school is to be a light in the darkness and to influence students and staff for Jesus at her school. Outside of school, she dances tap, hip hop, lyrical and jazz. She loves little people and helps in children’s ministry at her church and helps teach dance to 4 year olds at her dance school. She is actively involved at her youth group and loves helping new people feel at home at church. She has a heart to make sure others feel included and never excluded.
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