Do We Go to God Before Anything Else?

One time I ran into someone that I knew and they were trying to figure out which sister I was. While they’re trying to figure this out, I’m talking constantly like I always do. Finally they said, “You’re Bella, because you’re talking so much.”

I laughed, but they weren’t wrong. I do talk a lot. And because I talk a lot, I always have someone that I’m going to for advice, or to rant with or to talk through a decision, or even just to talk about my day. Outside of my family, these people are probably my circle of closest friends. I go to these people for wisdom, advice, and encouragement.

But sometimes I can go to them in the wrong order.

Because you see, sometimes I can rush to the people I think can help me the most, when in reality, I’m neglecting at all to go to the One who holds all the answers.

Awhile back, I did an object lesson with our teenagers about prayer. The object lesson went something like this: 

I handed two of them a piece of paper with scissors. I then showed them my paper which had been cut in a specific way to look like an “s” almost. (The secret was twisting the paper. But yes, I learned how to do this on YouTube).

I told them that they had to duplicate what I had done without the instructions. However, they could ask anyone in the classroom for advice on how to do it. 

They first tried to get it on their own, but when they quickly realized that they couldn’t figure it out, they began to ask each other for help. Well, none of the other students knew how to do it either. 

Finally, at the point where they were ready to give up, I asked them, “Who do you think you should’ve asked for help from?”

Suddenly they all got it. They should’ve asked me. 

I knew how to do it. I knew where they needed to make the cuts in the paper in order to do it right.

But they were so busy trying to figure it out that they forgot I had the answer.

Oh, how easily I do that with God. 

So easily I can become so caught up in trying to do better and get all the answers on my own that when I need help I first run to everyone else but God. I go to others to ask advice instead of first seeking my answers in His Word. I talk and talk to people instead of meeting Him on my knees. We can all tend to get this wrong sometimes. Especially in a world of Facebook and Instagram, we can so easily go to our news feeds and rant about what we disagree with, then talk to God about it.

We forget the One who has the answers because we become distracted by our own ways of thinking that we know what to do or how to find the answers ourselves.

And we can miss so much when we do that.

So my question for you is simply: Where do you rush to when you need help or encouragement or advice or strength? Where do you go first and foremost? Do you go to Facebook? Instagram? Do you rush to the telephone?

Do you go to God for everything before you go to anything else? 

Of course He often speaks to us through others and the people He places in our lives can give us lots of good advice, encouragement, and help. But if I put them before Him and His Word, I’m missing the point. 

I want to rush to God first because I know that He holds all the answers. I know that He is One I can trust above all. 

Let’s make Him our first priority before anything else this week.