Do We Put God First in Our Lives?

By James Katende – Do we truly put God first in our lives, or have we unknowingly placed Him second, third, or even last behind our ambitions, routines, relationships, and distractions?

This is not a question to answer quickly but one that deserves deep reflection. Putting God first is not just about saying we love Him or going to church once a week. It is about how we live, how we choose, how we prioritise, and how we surrender. To put God first means He is not just part of our life, but the centre of it. It means we do not start our day without acknowledging Him, we do not make decisions without seeking Him, and we do not chase dreams that are not aligned with His will. It is a lifestyle of surrender, a heart posture that says, “Not my will, but Yours be done,” even when it costs us comfort, control, or understanding.

When God is first, everything else in our life falls into its rightful place. Peace is no longer tied to circumstances, but rooted in presence. Joy is not based on temporary success, but on eternal truth. We stop striving to be enough because we know the One who is more than enough is leading us. Yet so often, we allow the noise of the world to drown out the voice of the One who created us. We chase approval from people and forget the approval that truly matters. We search for security in things that can be taken away in an instant. We get so caught up in surviving that we forget to live for what is eternal. But when we put God first, everything shifts. Our priorities change, our hearts soften, and our eyes open to what really matters. We begin to live with purpose, not pressure. With clarity, not confusion. With boldness, not fear.

Putting God first is not just about putting Him at the top of a to-do list. It is about building every part of our life around Him. Our time, our words, our money, our relationships, our plans, and our dreams must all reflect that He is Lord over all. It means seeking Him not only in crisis but in the calm, not only in the storm but in the stillness. It means we trust Him when we do not understand the path and praise Him even when we do not see the promise yet. It is declaring with every breath that our lives are not our own, but a vessel for His glory. And the beauty of putting God first is that we are never left empty. He fills what we surrender. He restores what we release. He blesses what we give. He multiplies what we place in His hands. When we seek Him first, everything else we need is added according to His perfect timing and grace.

To put God first is also to trust that His plan is greater than ours. It is to walk in faith even when we cannot see the full picture. It is to stop chasing things that were never meant to define us and start chasing the One who already knows our name and our purpose. Life becomes less about what we can achieve and more about who we are becoming. We begin to value character over comfort, truth over trends, and obedience over popularity. We are no longer shaken by what the world says about us because we are anchored in what God says about us. And what He says is unchanging. You are loved, chosen, redeemed, and called for such a time as this. That truth alone is enough to shift your entire existence.

Putting God first brings peace that passes all understanding. It silences fear, it heals wounds, it restores hope. It invites a supernatural strength into your life that no amount of self-effort can match. You begin to walk differently. Speak differently. Live differently. Because when God is first, you are no longer reacting to life; you are responding from a place of deep alignment with the One who knows the end from the beginning. You realise you are not alone. You are led. You are covered. You are chosen. And from that place, you begin to live boldly, love deeply, and move forward with purpose and grace.

So today, let this be more than just a question. Let it be a call to realignment. A return to the One who never stopped waiting for you to come back to Him. Put God first, not just with your words but with your life. He is not asking for perfection. He is asking for priority. Because when He is truly first, everything else will fall into place in ways that will touch your heart, renew your mind, bring peace to your soul, and transform your entire life.