So You Want to Prioritize God's Way? - Write Them On My Heart

So You Want to Prioritize God’s Way?

July 27

~ Today’s Scripture art and book review of She Works His Way are designed to help you learn how to prioritize God’s way. ~

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Are your priorities more theory or reality?

You know how it is when you want to, say, drink more water everyday, but you just can’t seem to make it happen. That’s because drinking water was more of a theory than a priority.

If you think about it, the very nature of the word “priority” has to have reality or it’s not a priority!

Do you want your priorities to match God’s priorities?

In theory, yes. Of course!

But let’s talk reality for a sec.

Reality #1: To make our priorities the same as God’s priorities, of course we’ll need to know what His top priorities are.

These can be found in His Word.

Reality check: How much of a priority do we give to studying the Bible?

Reality #2: Once we know God’s priorities, we’ll need our hearts and lives to change to reflect His priorities.

This change happens through abiding with God.

Reality check: How much time do we set aside for abiding (i.e. listening, prayer, and worship)?

John 15:4 (ESV): Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

Today’s post is all about making His priorities our priorities – making the theory a reality.

You see, I just finished the book She Works His Way and if you need some inspiration – or maybe a big push – to prioritize your life God’s way, this is the book!

*Side note: I know the title says she “works” His way, but just in case you think you don’t qualify, their byline clues you in to what they mean by work … A practical guide for doing what matters most in a get-things-done world.

So if you need to get things done, you qualify.

That would be all of us, right?

Colossians 3:23 (ESV): Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,

I immediately felt like the authors, Michelle Myers and Somer Phoebus, were my kind of people when I read this:

“His wisdom far exceeds human knowledge; it not only fills our hearts, but His wisdom also has the power to change our hearts. Mere knowledge can quickly escalate into pride, and God’s wisdom humbles our hearts to be more like Him. You can’t truly encounter God and stay the same.”

Doesn’t all that heart-change talk sound like it belongs on this website? Sure does!

*Side note: See our heart-change prayers here.

I am looking forward to sharing with you a few quotes (below) from their book, which I whole-heartedly recommend.

And after that, I have no doubt that you’ll want to go read the first chapter for free on the She Works His Way website. Or just go ahead and get the whole book – trust me, you are going to want to read it all anyway.

Okay, let’s learn – and embrace – 5 ways to …

Prioritize God’s Way

1. Prioritize Seeking Him First

Colossians 3:1-2 (CSB): So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Don’t scroll to #2 because you think you already know this one. {grin}

Michelle and Somer might just have a new lightbulb moment for you with this advice:

“If you take nothing else away from this book, remember this: Better life balance is not the solution. Order is. We were divinely designed to put God first.”

Allow me to repeat that: we are designed to put God first.

So what happens if we don’t live like we’re designed to live?

Michelle and Somer continue, “Deep down in the depths of our soul, we crave Him. And He won’t tolerate being second because He can’t. He’s God. So it would make sense that if your priority order is mixed up or inverted, you’ll feel anxious, discontent, and aimless.”

Ever experienced any of those?

We have all tried to fix those feelings with various ways the world suggests, but “for some reason” those never worked. {Did you picture my fingers doing the air quotes? Because they did.}

Now you know what the “some reason” is.

You’ve got to live the way you were designed to live – putting God first – or it just won’t work right.

Want some Biblical proof?

Prioritize God's Way - Matthew 6:33 Scripture Art

Matthew 6:31-33 (ESV): Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

When you’re anxious like verse 31 above, what’s the first thing you do? Remind yourself of verse 32?

I hope so – because our heavenly Father knows what you need.

You need HIM. (verse 33)

First!

It’s how He designed us.

Open up His Word and it will point to Him.

John 5:39 (NLT): “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!

John 5:39 Scripture Art — *Shop this ^ printable here.*

2. Prioritize Surrendering

Jeremiah 4:4a (NLT): O people of Judah and Jerusalem, surrender your pride and power. Change your hearts before the Lord,

I really liked this explanation on surrender from Michelle and Somer:

“Surrendered effort is intentional movement in God’s direction. Otherwise, we only drift in one direction, even if we feel like we’re striving with all of our strength – which is precisely the problem: Striving is limited by your strength, while surrender relies on God’s strength. When you surrender, you realize that results are in God’s hands. Because of His past faithfulness, you have peace in God’s presence alone.”

Surrendering to Him is foundational.

It’s how we’re designed to live.

Somer and Michelle advise that we must constantly remind ourselves that self-sufficiency is a deficiency.

Proverbs 3:5 (CSB): Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding;

How to prioritize God's way - Matthew 6:33 — *Shop this ^ printable HERE.*

3. Prioritize Listening and Obeying

Luke 11:28 (ESV): But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

Jesus instructed us to consider carefully how we listen.

Luke 8:18 (NLT): “So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.”

Listening is crucial. We can’t be obedient without listening first.

One of my favorite quotes from the book is: “Obedience looks like good and faithful service: What am I doing with what God has given me, and how much glory is He getting from it? The measurements you choose to use reveal whose kingdom you’re here to build. Yours or His?”

Isn’t that a simple yet profound definition of obedience? Good and faithful service that builds His kingdom while giving Him all the glory.

Every small step of obedience is a step toward living how you were designed to live.

Jeremiah 7:23 (ESV): But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’

So you want to prioritize God's way? Follow Matthew 6:33

4. Prioritize Fearing God

Proverbs 19:23a (CSB): The fear of the Lord leads to life;

Did you see what leads to life? ^

We are designed to fear the Lord in all we do.

But sometimes we don’t give that a priority which results in fearing people more than God.

Growing up, we called it peer pressure. As adults, we label it people-pleasing.

The Bible refers to it as “the fear of man” and it’s probably more important than we realize – because it lays a snare!

Proverbs 29:25 (ESV): The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.

Michelle and Somer share this wisdom: “There’s nothing wrong with being liked. But we should be cautious when we like being liked – because without the proper guardrails, liking being liked can escalate to needing to be liked – which is dangerous ground.”

We are designed to only fear God.

Matthew 10:28 (ESV): And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Which brings us to …

5. Prioritize Keeping An Eternal Perspective

John 17:3 (NLT): And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.

When we live with eternity in mind, it affects every choice we make.

But developing this mindset doesn’t just happen – it takes intentional effort.

Michelle and Somer say, “The difference between a worldview and a Christian worldview is this: Worldview sees only right now, centers on me, stores up, and focuses on my earthly impact. Christian worldview sees eternity, centers on God, gives away, and focuses on my kingdom impact.”

Totally different focuses.

So how do you start to see from an eternal perspective?

By treasuring God above all else. Make Him your #1 priority.

It’s how we’re designed.

Matthew 6:21 (ESV): For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

So tell me, did you figure out why we should prioritize these things …

Seeking God First
Surrendering
Listening and Obeying
Fearing God
Keeping an Eternal Perspective

You got it! Because they are how we are designed to live!

Let’s quench that craving we were all born with and fill that God-sized hole we all have inside us by living the way we were designed to live – by prioritizing God above all else.

Turn theory into a reality on the most important priority.