This is the Most Powerful Way Keeping God First
Inside: I’ve heard that if we can’t give something up, it means we have a problem. I admit my problem is I don’t trust God enough. Six results when we seek first the Kingdom of God.
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Can you give up your child for God?
I’m not talking about giving them up for adoption, but rather if God asked you to choose between Him or your child, who would you choose?
This sickening feeling just became obvious in my stomach. I know I should choose God, but the thought of saying goodbye to my child would be too painful.
I’ve heard that if we can’t give something up, it means we have a problem. I admit my problem is I don’t trust God enough.
If I choose Him, will He comfort me enough in the loss of my child? Will He show me His plans, so I can see the good?
Why Would God ask this?
When God isn’t numero uno in our life, we are worshiping something other than Him. Now I know, you may be thinking, I’m not worshiping my child. But if something is put in the spot where God is intended, it’s an idol.
God has asked for sacrifices many times in the Bible. It was a display of worship, seeking a right relationship with him and asking for forgiveness of sins. While the act was important, God held the person’s heart attitude as more important.
God sought the best sacrifice, the treasured parts of the flock, the authentic heart based on Him. God doesn’t want something that isn’t worthwhile to us, He wants something that’s hard for us to give.
24 But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing.” So David paid him fifty pieces of silver for the threshing floor and the oxen.
Who Do We Choose?
Here’s the moment of truth:
- Could we sacrifice this treasure?
- Are we resting on objects and people or God?
- Can our kids see Jesus as the apex of our lives?
- Would we be ok if God took any of these items out of our lives?
If we can’t handle the removal of something from our lives, we have a problem. God isn’t our all-in-all. Share on X
Ouch, that stings, doesn’t it?
Abraham’s Sacrifice
God asked Abraham to do a really hard thing- to give up his most important treasure, Isaac his son. The son he waited for 100 years. Yet, God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac as a burnt offering on Mt. Moriah.
Here’s the part that has me baffled. There is no mention of Sarah knowing what God had asked. While I don’t know for sure since the Bible doesn’t say, did Abraham even mention this to Sarah?
I think she might have had some objection over her son being sacrificed? Perhaps Abraham didn’t tell her because she would have swayed his decision? Could her faith have been less than Abraham’s?
As a mother, I’d want to be there in the final hours of my child’s life.
Seeking First the Kingdom of God
Abraham started early the next morning, loaded the donkeys with firewood, gathered his servants and headed on a 3-day journey to the mountain. Once he arrived there, he left the servants behind, and Isaac and he finished the rest of the journey.
9 When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. 11 At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!”
12 “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son” (Genesis 22:9-12, NLT).
God then provided a ram. Isaac was safe because God had provided in a different way.
Could we do it? Do we trust God enough for Him to take our idols and carry us through the absence of what we lost?
Through this test, Abraham proved God was his all in all. Are you committed to Him?
What can we learn from Abraham about when God asks us to give something up:
- We don’t need to advertise to others what is an idol in our life, or what we give up. It’s between God and us.
- We need to trust and be in a daily relationship with God.
- We need to follow through even when we don’t know God’s reasoning.
- God will step in and change the situation and you will experience change you haven’t seen before.
- God will become your all in all.
- Your strengthened relationship with God will flow into your other earthly relationships.
I don’t know about you, but I still don’t know if I could do it? I’m saddened to admit this, but trust is my issue. Maybe that’s why Abraham is in the Great Hall of Faith and I’m not.
In reality, God won’t ask us to do this. However, He will allow us to go through seasons of testing our reliance and trust in Him. He wants to see how committed and dependent we are on Him. I know I need to be more trusting, dependent and faithful to what He asks me to do. He needs to be my all in all and the priority of my life. I need to secure Him in this spot and keep others things from trying to occupy it.
When He’s my numero uno, I won’t be afraid to give up the items I hold dear.
The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless DemandsJesus: Experiencing His Touch: A Study of Mark 1-6 (40-Minute Bible Studies)One Year With Jesus: 365 Daily Devotions based on the Chronological Life of ChristThe Prayer That Changes Everything®: The Hidden Power of Praising GodThe Power of Praying® Through the Bible Book of PrayersThe Power of a Praying® Woman Book of PrayersA Heart Like His: Making Space for God’s Love in Your Life
So thought-provoking, Julie! I have so much flooding my mind reading this. Thank you for sharing this and especially this definition” But if something is put in the spot where God is intended, it’s an idol.”
Thanks Bethany! I appreciate your kind words!
Julie,
This was a great post. I love reading about Abraham. I can’t imagine giving up a child like that. I have to say, I want to say I would but I am not sure.
I have had to release a child a few times and trust God with her. It was the hardest thing I have ever done. God was faithful. Yes, we had scrapes and bruises but her brought her through.
Maree
Maree- I haven’t had to release a child yet. I’m comforted to hear God was faithful! Blessings to you!
Sometimes I think we can wind up idolizing things we don’t even like or love. — Just by way of how we spend our time and how we order our days. Jesus is worthy of that top space though, thank you for the reminder today, and for sharing your heart with #ChasingCommunity, Julie. (And, love your point about a stronger relationship with God translating into stronger earthly relationships.) 🙂
Brenda- thanks for hosting and commenting here! Have a great weekend!
May I be willing to give Him everything that I want to hold selfishly to my breast in surrender to Him!
Thank you for sharing Julie!
Amen Lillian! Thanks for stopping by sweet friend!
Such a sensitive— and IMPORTANT topic. It’s so true about idols. Sometimes we think of them being a statue on a pedestal, but it really is anything we put before God. Ann Voskamp even wrote about the connection between fear and idols in her most recent book.
It’s eye opening and convicting to realize how much I put ahead of God in my life. So grateful for His grace in the process!
Becky- yes and I’m guilty daily about putting things less important in God’s righteous place. Thank you for commenting!
excellent challenge. my desire is to lead the way in putting God first in my life. God had to force me to take a look at what I had in first place. Chronic pain put me flat on my back to cause me to look up. One message I now have is “Don’t wait for God to put you on your back before you put Him first.”
Thanks for this challenge.
GGMandy- While I’m sad you had to go through chronic pain to put Him first, I’m glad it has changed you! Your message is great!
Blessings!
God gives and He takes away – that can be heart wrenching to bear especially when what He removes is something we hold so dear. Grateful that when God asks us to do something hard, He promises to remain beside us.
Tiffany- I agree! I’m learning to trust Him in all things…it will probably take me my whole life;)
Julie,
I have been so behind in connecting with my #GraceMoments Community and reading their words that I am just NOW getting to yours. But God’s timing is so good and the reasons why are clearer now. I needed to read this today, not any other time, because I needed to be reminded of some precious truths. Thank you for writing this and reminding us of His grace as we wrestle with the hard things.
Bless you!
Dawn
Dawn- I’m so glad God lead you to these words! Have a great weekend!
This is such a powerful and thought-provoking post. It’s so easy to answer yes, but actually doing it is a totally different thing. If it was up to us, we would all say no, but through God all things are possible. He alone is our strength.
Heather- I agree! I’m glad you reminded me in my own strength I couldn’t but with Him, I can! Thank you!
When my daughter went in to spinal surgery, it was scary. She was on breathing tubes. I know that she is on loan to me by God, and I asked God to make the surgery successful, but if He didn’t, I trusted God that her death would be best, either because some brutality would have occurred to her in her future, or some other event that God would have prevented from happening. Thankfully her surgery went well.
Susan- how scary! Did she have scoliosis? I’m so glad God brought her through and increased your faith at the same time:)
The closer I get in my faith to God the more I am able to release the strongholds I have in life but I know my husband and my children would be incredibly hard for me to walk away from. I would like to believe I would choose God but sadly I’m not certain. That is a difficult and sobering thought.
Melissa- I totally get what you are saying! Another commenter, Heather, pointed out in our own strength we couldn’t do it but with God all things are possible. I think that might be the missing link;)
How those idols keep popping back up! I think almost every mother knows the temptation to make husband and children their idols. I know I have had to lay them down again and again.
Alice- it’s hard to not let them take our number 1 position!
I pray that I would recognize if and when I am putting something in God’s Place and will willingly give it up to put God in His proper place.
Kristi- I pray this for myself too! Thank you, Kristi!
I always wished I could be in Abraham’s mind when he was on the journey with Issac…what was he thinking and feeling? He was human so he must have had emotions. But God was bigger than what he felt. Amazing!!!
Abraham’s story is truly amazing. I believe that he felt that same struggle that we all do. Thankfully, most of us will not be called to Abraham’s position in life to know for sure what we would do. I do think you had some really good thoughts in this post!
Lauren- thank you so much! I admire Abraham’s faith and how God was number one in His life always!
This is such a hard thing to think about. I want to say that I’m fully committed to God, but when you bring up this question I don’t know what I would do. Maybe it would depend upon the way that the child was going? I don’t really know how I would respond in this situation, but I do know that God honors our faith even when it is “as small as a mustard seed.”
Rebekah- I’m not sure how I’d react either. I want to say I’m “all in with God,” but could I be as faithful as Abraham? I’m not sure. Thank you for the reminder of the mustard seed:)
The story of Abraham and Isaac sure gives parents a lot to think about! We named our daughter Moriah after Mount Moriah. It’s been a powerful reminder to trust in God’s providence.