If I were to ask you, “What is the one thing God expects of you today?”, what would your answer be? Have you even asked Him? Have you taken five minutes to just be still and hear His heart for you?

My question is not intended to condemn you, but hopefully to offend you that may steer you into a space where you no longer just fit God into your schedule but to make your schedule take the course God planned for you.

We live in a world where people talk “Jesus” but they do not live Him. Jesus says in John 1:4: “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men”. It is time that our lives begin to speak of this light for the world, wherever we find ourselves or in whatever we do. Walking in Jesus’ light does not mean you will never offend people, as you most probably will, but we do not live for the approval of man, but for the glory of God.

Galatians 1:10 says, “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” These words are direct and the meaning is profound. In any moment that your thoughts ponder the reactions of people, it means that in that moment you have replaced God on the throne of your life with another person’s approval. You no longer live to please God but seek the approval of people.

God is holy and He wants and needs to be the first “go-to” in your thoughts to determine your day, your decisions or our actions. He does not want to be an after-thought that you think of after everything has been done and you try to understand the consequences.

No, He wants you to seek Him with such a willing and adoring heart that you do not want to spend one moment without God consuming all of you. Your only desire is to have Him as part of everything you are and everything you do.

So how does this look?

1. You can start your day by taking the first ten minutes to just be still and become aware of God’s presence.
2. Ask Him to show you His purpose for you for the day. Learn to be quiet and expectant of Him to show up in these moments.
3. Throughout your day, just be aware of Jesus being with you.
4. Take a few five minute time-outs where you consciously think about God and how great He is.
5. Before every decision, every action, stop and consider God…do not make Him an afterthought.

God is not an afterthought!