When it comes to placing priorities in our lives, many people remind me of the old Abbot and Costello routine “Who’s on First?”.  In the midst of tracking the progress around the bases, they get confused about who is actually on first. Their confusion leads to frustration which leads to anger, which leads to more confusion… I think you get the picture. Yet, I believe that God created a plan for our lives that will work if we work His plan. Coincidently, it begins and ends with who’s on first.

I also believe that God knows what He’s doing, that He hasn’t come up with a better plan and I don’t think that He gets confused about first base being His position. He says in scripture, “I am the Lord, and I do not change”. And if you consider the first of the Ten Commandments, “Have no other Gods before Me”, what He is saying here is really simple… “I must be first”.  In Matthew 6:33, the words of Jesus go something like this… “When you put Me first, everything else will fall into it’s place.”

When I meet with couples in crisis and hear their issues, the real issue is “who’s on first?”. Somewhere along the way, God was bumped as a priority. Marriage is God’s design and it works when we’re willing to play 3rd base. Our spouse must be on 2nd, and you got it… God’s on first. And if you’ve got kids on your team, then put them in their place, short stop, outfield, out side, whatever, just not on first.

There is no exception to the rule. If your finances are a wreck, the question is still… “who’s on first?”  The names and faces change throughout the years, but there are only two stories that I hear on this topic. There is the person who puts God first and honors the Lord with their life and with the first fruit of all of their increase. And then there is the story of the person who is confused about who’s on first, living for themselves and the moment. One is blessed and everything else seems to fall into place, and the other is frustrated and seems to never have enough.

As we move into a new year, don’t make another useless resolution that you’ll soon forget. Instead, begin the first of the year by putting God first in your life, first in your marriage, and first in your finances.

Psalm 65:11
You crown the year with Your goodness, And Your paths drip with abundance.