By Joe Pisani
A friend I haven’t seen in 20 years sent me a card that said, “Put God first.” It was a lesson I needed to hear because I suspect I’ve been putting God second or third or even lower on the list.
Of course, it’s deceptively easy to put ourselves first and forget God, especially when we think we’re responsible for our successes and everything is going well. On those occasions, all too often, God is an afterthought.
I teach a course in public speaking and we study famous speeches. At the top of my list is Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream.” Then, there’s John F. Kennedy’s 1961 inaugural address and Winston Churchill’s “This Was Their Finest Hour” speech.
We also listen to a commencement address by actor Denzel Washington at Dillard University. His message to the graduating class is pretty powerful and very simple: “Put God first. Put God first in everything you do.”
It’s one of the most inspiring speeches you’ll ever hear in an era when commencement addresses are notorious for being bland and boring … and when mentioning God on campus can get you in trouble. (To hear the speech, go to https://youtu.be/BxY_eJLBflk). Washington is a man who has achieved monumental success in life, and he credits everything to the grace of God.
Whenever I start patting myself on the back for some success, for some good fortune or for something wonderful I thought I did, I fall flat on my face. Maybe it’s a reminder from my Creator of just who’s in charge and who’s responsible for the successes.
When you put God first, humility is a lot easier. It’s a very simple operating principle. Step out of the way and let God do what he has to do, and there will be miraculous outcomes. As St. Teresa of Calcutta so aptly put it, “I am a pencil in God’s hands.”
The exalted in heaven will be the lowly and humble who did God’s bidding without the fanfare and without all the pomp and circumstance. As Jesus often said, the first will be last, and the last will be first.
When it comes to good fortune, people with wealth, intelligence, prestige and popularity often claim credit for everything. How many times did your mother tell you that those things are a gift from God, and just as easily as you acquired them, they can be taken away.
What does it mean to put God first? On a practical level — borrowing again from Mother Teresa’s wisdom — start the day by saying, “Good morning, God,” and then ask, “What do you have planned for us today?”
God always has a plan, and it requires your participation. All you have to do is give him your day and get out of the driver’s seat. When we put God first, he can do great things. The best approach is to consecrate your day to God from the start with a simple prayer like “Dear God, I give you my life and my work. Help me to do your will today in every moment.”
Then, even if you trip up and even if you forget God while you’re arguing with your kids or your spouse or your boss, you can still be sure that God will be using you in ways you can’t even begin to understand in this lifetime and probably not until you meet him face to face in the next when you’ll understand all that he did with your conscious and unconscious participation in his plan. I’m convinced he even uses us as negative powers of example.
Putting God first also requires silent time with him, even if it’s during the wee hours of the morning while you’re lying awake in bed and staring at the ceiling. That’s when he does his best work. And that’s when we can tell him our problems and we have an opportunity to thank him and, more importantly, to listen to that still small voice that can only be heard in silence.
When you see the successes that come about through your participation, never forget it was God’s plan. The only thing you did was say yes every day and turn your will and life over to him.
And always remember, as Denzel Washington says, everything, absolutely everything, is possible when you put God first.