Getting God Off the Back Burner

I looked my husband in the eyes and told him how much I loved him. I said, "You are the most important person to me. I can't imagine loving you any more than I already do. You are so valuable and special to me." After my little time of sharing He said, "I love you too! Let's get a cup of coffee and sit down and talk. I'd love to share my heart with you and hear what's on your heart." As much as I love Him, I looked back and said, "I am really busy . . . I just don't have any time. I love you so much, but I just don't have any time to spare. I have so much on my plate. In fact, I'm going to be busy for the next couple of years. How about we touch base once a week for a quick five minutes?"

Confession Time!

Okay. Confession time! I'm not married. That story was just pretend to help make my point. So often I say those very words about God, "You are my number one priority. I can't imagine loving you any more than I already do. You are so valuable and special to me."

When push comes to shove, is God really my number one priority, or am I just a bunch of talk?

In my heart, I know that God is the most important thing in my life. He is the best. The greatest. The most valuable. Then I read verses like Romans 5:8, "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." And I see that He loves me too. Then push comes to shove. My love is put to the test. Is God really my number one priority, or am I just a bunch of talk? In the story above I said all of the right things, but my actions proved something different. I told my "husband" that "I'm really busy. I don't have time. I have so much on my plate. Let's stay in touch once a week." If I were actually married and that story were true, it would be hard to believe that I truly valued my husband if I didn't make him a priority in any way, shape, or form. If I didn't have any time to spare, my words would feel hollow. That story is only a physical example of what we tend to do with God. I know it's a choice I've made many times. I say that God is my number one priority, but my actions say something different.

Making Time for What Matters

The truth is, we all make time for the things that really matter. Many times the things that take priority are our friends, social media, movies, music, and magazines. Before we know it, God is on the back burner, and we've prioritized everything else above Him. I don't want that to be my story. I love God. I love His Word. I'm so grateful that He saved me. I want to know Him on a personal level. I want to know His plan for my life. I want to know how He wants me to live. How can I know those things if I don't spend time with Him in prayer and in His Word? I read the Bible because I love God, and I want to know Him personally. Mark 12:30 is the desire of my heart. It says,

"And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."

That is God's desire for us. That we would love Him with all that we are. How can we do that? By spending time with Him on a daily basis and making Him a priority in our lives. There are lots of important reasons to read the Bible, including making God our number one priority. 

About the Author

Bethany Beal

Bethany Beal is the co-founder of GirlDefined Ministries and co-author of several books, including Girl Defined: God’s Radical Design for Beauty, Femininity and Identity. She is passionate about spreading the truth of biblical womanhood through writing, speaking, and mentoring women, and you can catch her unpacking exciting and controversial topics every week on her podcast, The Girl Defined Show. Bethany is married to her best friend and husband, David, and they have one son, Davey Jr.