Mr. Bill attended the small church I grew up in, one of the many things he was known for was saying, “Keep the main thing the main thing.” That is now a saying that often plays in my thoughts, but so often I unintentionally put other things above God. I have fallen into the trap of putting relationships, career, finances, and the desires of my heart above God.

C.S. Lewis wrote, “Put first things first and second things are thrown in.  Put second things first you lose both first and second things.”  Last year, when it felt like everything was falling apart, I began to cling even tighter to my relationships out of the fear of losing them too.  I was putting the second things first and lost both the first and second things.  I had to work on my vertical relationship with God before the second things would be added back into my life in God’s timing.

I am learning that when I am abiding in Him and connected to Him the second things fall right into the place God had intended them to be in.  When I stopped trying to fix the relationships and situation on my own and leaned into God with an attitude of complete surrender, my heart and the relationships began to heal.  Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you as well.”  The more I leaned into Him the more I wanted Him, more than I wanted the second things I held too tightly to before. 

When we seek Him first and have a solid vertical relationship the horizontal relationships, finances, career will fall into the place God has for them.  We can trust Him to provide the second things.  What are second things that you are putting first?  May we learn to chase fervently after Him and unwaveringly trust Him to provide the second things.  May we land on His grace.