One faithful day last week, I was walking my 16-month-old to daycare while holding hands. She just started walking about a month ago and she is not very stable. As we walked together from the parking lot to the daycare office, I noticed that every noise she heard she would turn around and stare at it and stop walking, making the already slow walk even slower. As her mother, I had to adjust my steps to match hers but here she was not paying attention and looking at everything around her. If I had let go, she would start walking towards anything that grabbed her attention. I almost just picked her up and walked in myself, but the Holy Spirit reminded me of myself and how I do not always follow his lead.

You must realize that the Holy Spirit can convict you at any given time and this was my time. I had to quell the urge to pick her up and walk swiftly into the office. Instead, I started cajoling her and walking slowly with her to reach her class. When I dropped her off, I was like, “Holy Spirit, give me a compliment I did well right?” No compliment but He reminded me that I do exactly what my daughter was doing, getting distracted by things around me instead of focusing on the things that matter. Mark 4:19 says

“but the worries and cares of the world [the distractions of this age with its worldly pleasures], and the deceitfulness [and the false security or glamour] of wealth [or fame], and the passionate desires for all the other things creep in and choke out the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”

Have I been too distracted by things around me so much that I do not focus on what God wants me to do? Have I forgotten that God comes first before career, riches, and fame? How many times have I prioritized things of the world over the things of God? These questions kept repeating over and over in my mind. It dawned on me that I had slowly started to prioritize other things before the things of God. I would prioritize working out over devotion saying, “I will do it later, but my body needs the workout in the morning.” Did not the bible say “Seek ye first the kingdom and everything else will be added onto you”? Meaning riches, fame, career growth and everything else will be included when I put God and the things of God first.

Realizing that, I started to notice other habits where I pushed things of the Spirit to the background and other things I deemed as more important started taking its place. I was behaving as if everything I had was not given to me by God. I was ashamed of myself and still am. I am a work in progress. I am learning to put the things of God first and foremost before work, exercise, meal prep, putting the kids to sleep and others.

Here are some of the things I have started to do to make God a priority in not only my life but my home.

1. Start your day with him. Spend some time in his presence whether through worship or scripture reading. I have noticed that when I start my day with him no matter how chaotic the day is I am always able to handle it calmly. A quote from Joyce Meyer says,

   “The Key to having God’s abundant life is keeping him in his rightful place in our priorities”

   In my life and family I want him as Number 1.
2. Communicate with him. Ask him before you take any step no matter how small. He wants to be in the details of your everyday life. Yes, he knows your end and all steps you will take, still he wants you to take the time to talk to him about it. He is your father and friend. He wants that relationship with you.
3. Live for God. Make your every action always for him. Make it so that every step is ingrained in him.

Doing this daily has helped me put him first. It is not easy, but I am determined to do so, that is why I strive to wake up just a bit earlier each day to spend time in his presence. Make a point to put him first and not let the chaos and cares of your everyday life make you forget who you are living for.