EXODUS 20:1-3: And God spoke all these words, saying: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you
out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.”
John Wanamaker was a man who had his priorities straight. In the late 19th century he opened a
department store in Philadelphia. Within a few years the enterprise became one of the most
successful businesses in the country. But operating his store wasn’t Wanamaker’s only responsibility.
He was also named Postmaster General of the United States and served as the superintendent for
what was then the largest Sunday school in the world at Bethany Presbyterian Church. When
someone asked him how he could hold all these positions at once, he explained, “Early in life I read,
‘But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you’
[Matt. 6:33].
That’s what I’ve done.” In the midst of a busy life, Mr. Wanamaker made God his number-one priority
and the results speak for themselves.
As the Israelites began their new life of freedom, God instructed them to “have no other gods before
Me.” This was not for His benefit, but for theirs. To live life successfully, we must know what’s most
important. All of our other priorities will be out of kilter until we get our first priority straight.
When we know what comes first, the rest will fall into place. God must always come first in our lives,
in our daily schedules, our checkbooks, our estate plans, our thoughts and our actions. He is priority
one.
If your life is chaotic, it may indicate your priorities are jumbled. Make God priority one in your life and
you may be surprised at how easily everything else comes together. Only by starting your priorities
right can you hope to end them right.
EVERYTHING BEGINS WITH THE RIGHT PRIORITIES, AND RIGHT PRIORITIES BEGIN WITH
GOD.