September 26, 2022 — Who and What do you have on First?

“Are you much of a baseball fan?” Stan asked me one morning.

“Not really,” I replied. “Maybe I will watch a few games when it gets time for the championship, but I’m not a big fan. How about you?”

“About the same,” Stan replied. “I don’t have a favorite team and I don’t watch many games, but there is something I really enjoy about baseball.”

“What’s that?”

Rather than answering, he asked me another question. “Have you ever seen the comedy routine called ‘Who’s on First’?”

“I have,” I replied. “I’ve seen it on the internet. It’s a hilarious routine by Abbott and Costello concerning who is on the different bases in a baseball game. It’s old, but is still very funny. What brings that up?”

“It came to mind earlier this morning when I was journaling about something the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Colossae.”

“I would guess that Paul was not writing about baseball or comedy routines,” I said with a smile.

“You’re right,” Stan replied, “but Paul did have something to say that I think is to be an essential part of my relationship to God in Christ.”

“What’s that?”

“Who do I put on first?” Stan replied. “Seems to me that’s what Paul was writing about: who and what do I put first in my life.”

“First in your life?” I said. “Like who’s on first?”

“Exactly,” he replied. “Who and what. Is it God or is it self? Is it what God wants to be first in my life or is something I want to put first apart from Him? Is it the world, or the flesh, or the devil? Or is it all of them and everything except God?”

“Wow,” I replied. “Big questions!”

“Big indeed,” Stan said. “And these questions are ones I need to ask myself regularly as long as God keeps me on this side of eternity.”

“While you wait for the train,” I added with a smile.

“That’s it,” Stan replied. “Seems to me that asking who and what is on first in my life is the essence of being a disciple pursuing discipleship.”

“You mean like denying self, taking up what God has for you to take up, and following Him?” I asked.

“You got it, my friend,” Stan replied with a smile.

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Bible verses to consider:

He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything.  Colossians 1:18.

And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all. Ephesians 1:22-23.

And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23.

Prayer:  Thank you, Father, that you want to have first place in every aspect of my life while you keep me on this side of eternity. Thank you, too, for providing the Holy Spirit, the Helper, to help me with that. I confess that too often I do not place you first in my life because I do not listen to the Holy Spirit and I choose to put someone or something else first. Too often that “someone” is me. Please forgive the foolishness of trying to live this life without putting you first. I ask for your help so I follow every step of your lead and do, in fact, place you first in all I am and in all I do. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Have you placed God first in your life in the sense of having accepted His free and gracious provision of life eternally with Him when it is time? If no, why? What is standing in the way? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with placing God first in your life while He keeps you here? As well as you would like? As well as God would like? If you sense the need for change in who and what you place first in your life, how is that going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?