* What does it mean to keep God as my first love?

I’m struggling with the concept of prioritizing my relationship with God in a world full of distractions and competing priorities like career, family, hobbies, and personal relationships. It’s easy to say “keep God first,” but what does that actually look like in practical, everyday life?
Specifically, what does it mean to keep God as my first love? How does this differ from simply believing in God or being a “good person”? What tangible actions and mindset shifts are involved? What are some common pitfalls that can cause me to drift away from making God my priority, and how can I guard against them? I’m looking for concrete examples and actionable steps, not just abstract theological concepts. How does this prioritization impact my other relationships and responsibilities? How can I tell if I’m truly keeping God first, or if I’m just telling myself that?

Answer

To keep God as your first love means prioritizing your relationship with Him above all other relationships, desires, pursuits, and possessions in your life. It’s about centering your life around God’s will, seeking His guidance, and living in a way that pleases Him. Here’s a more detailed breakdown:

Foundation of Love:

• Acknowledge His Love: It begins with understanding and receiving God’s unconditional love for you, demonstrated through Jesus Christ. This recognition forms the basis for your reciprocal love.
• Grateful Heart: Cultivate a heart of gratitude for His blessings, provision, and grace. Recognizing His constant presence and activity in your life fuels your desire to please Him.

Prioritization in Daily Life:

• Time Commitment: Make time for prayer, Bible study, and worship. This dedicated time allows you to connect with God, learn His will, and strengthen your relationship. It means prioritizing this time even when life is busy or challenging.
• Seeking His Will: Consistently seek God’s guidance in all decisions, big and small. This involves prayer, studying scripture, and listening for the Holy Spirit’s prompting. It means being willing to change your plans to align with His will.
• Obedience: Obey God’s commands as revealed in the Bible. This includes living a life of integrity, honesty, and love towards others. Obedience is a demonstration of your love and trust in Him.
• Living for His Glory: Understand that your life is meant to bring glory to God. This means using your talents, gifts, and resources to serve Him and others. It’s about living with an eternal perspective, knowing that your actions have lasting consequences.

Relationships and Possessions:

• Healthy Relationships: Ensure that your relationships honor God. This includes choosing friends who encourage you in your faith, and maintaining healthy boundaries in all relationships. Love others as Christ loved you.
• Detachment from Materialism: Recognize that material possessions are temporary and that true fulfillment comes from God. Avoid becoming attached to wealth or status, and use your resources to bless others and further God’s kingdom.
• Purpose-Driven Life: Discover your God-given purpose and live it out with passion. This involves identifying your talents and using them to serve God and others. Your purpose should be aligned with His will and focused on making a positive impact on the world.

Inner Transformation:

• Humility: Maintain a humble attitude, recognizing your dependence on God. Avoid pride and arrogance, and seek to learn from others. Humility allows God to work in your life and use you for His purposes.
• Forgiveness: Forgive others as God has forgiven you. This includes releasing bitterness and resentment, and choosing to extend grace to those who have wronged you. Forgiveness is essential for maintaining a healthy relationship with God and others.
• Self-Control: Practice self-control in all areas of your life, including your thoughts, words, and actions. This involves resisting temptation and choosing to do what is right, even when it is difficult. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit and a sign of spiritual maturity.
• Love in Action: Show love to others through acts of kindness, compassion, and service. This includes caring for the poor, the marginalized, and the oppressed. Love in action is a tangible expression of your love for God.
• Continuous Growth: Strive for continuous spiritual growth and maturity. This involves seeking God’s guidance, learning from your mistakes, and allowing the Holy Spirit to transform you from the inside out. Spiritual growth is a lifelong journey, not a destination.

Challenges and Perseverance:

• Temptation: Recognize that you will face temptations to prioritize other things above God. Be vigilant in guarding your heart and mind, and seek God’s help to resist temptation.
• Spiritual Warfare: Understand that there is a spiritual battle raging for your soul. Be aware of the enemy’s tactics and put on the full armor of God.
• Perseverance: Remain steadfast in your love for God, even when faced with trials, difficulties, or persecution. Trust that God is with you, and that He will never leave you or forsake you.

Keeping God as your first love is an ongoing process that requires intentionality, commitment, and a willingness to surrender your life to Him. It’s a journey of faith, obedience, and love that leads to a deeper relationship with God and a more fulfilling life.

Pray This Prayer

Heavenly Father,

My heart yearns to understand what it truly means to keep you as my first love. It’s easy to say the words, but so much harder to live them. So often, I find myself distracted by the fleeting pleasures and anxieties of this world. My attention is drawn to achievements, to possessions, to the opinions of others, and even to the needs of those I love.

Forgive me, Lord, for the times I’ve allowed these things to eclipse your presence in my life. Show me the subtle ways in which I’ve displaced you from the center of my heart. Help me recognize the idols I’ve unknowingly erected, the false comforts I’ve sought outside of your grace.

Lord, teach me to prioritize your presence above all else. Help me to crave your word, to long for your wisdom, and to find true fulfillment in your perfect will. Give me the strength to resist the temptations that pull me away from you, and the courage to surrender my desires at the foot of your cross.

I pray for a deeper understanding of your unconditional love, a love that transcends my imperfections and failures. Let that love be the foundation upon which I build my life, the compass that guides my decisions, and the fuel that ignites my passion.

Help me to see that loving you first means loving others more completely, serving them with a pure and selfless heart, rooted in your divine example. Show me how to reflect your love in every aspect of my life – in my thoughts, my words, and my actions.

Lord, I surrender my heart to you. Purify it, mold it, and fill it with your unwavering love. May my life be a testament to your grace, a living prayer that proclaims you as my first love, my everything, my God.

In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.