Where Does God *Actually* Go in Your First Chair?

Brothers and sisters, if I asked you right now, "What should come first in your life?" what would you confidently answer? Chances are, you’d say, "God." And that’s the right answer, isn't it? It's the foundational truth we preach in every missionary discussion and every study session.

We know the scripture: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." It’s the bedrock of the gospel. We are called to love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.

But here’s where the reality of the field—and indeed, the reality of our own hearts—gets complicated. We can *claim* God is first, but are our actions reflecting that? It's a subtle but profound difference.

I was thinking about this recently, and it reminded me of a powerful illustration: imagining your life as a series of chairs. The first chair, the most important one, should hold God. The second chair might be family. The third, maybe career. The fourth, perhaps hobbies. We tend to stack things up—our debt payments, our career goals, our need for comfort, our hobbies—and it’s easy to let those things take the prime real estate.

The danger isn't that we have good things in our lives; the danger is that we let them *become* idols. We start treating our jobs, our savings accounts, or even our hobbies like they are the ultimate source of our security or happiness, and God gets relegated to the "leftover time" slot.

This isn't meant to be a condemnation, dear disciples. It’s meant to be a gentle nudge from someone who has been in the field and seen the Spirit move when hearts realign. It's a call to honest self-examination, the kind of deep digging we do when we study the Book of Mormon or when we sit down for a focused Bible Study Group in HolyPlaces.

We need to move past the "Christian-ish" phase—the phase where we just tick boxes—and move into the phase where our entire existence points upward. It means making the conscious, daily choice to put Him first, even when the bills are due or the work schedule is relentless.

If you’re feeling the pull of this—that need to re-prioritize, to make sure the Spirit is guiding the *first* chair—I highly recommend checking out the full message that sparked this thought. It’s a powerful reminder that faith isn't about fitting God into our schedule; it's about letting Him define the schedule.

A Little Prep Skill for Today: As you go through your week, I challenge you to do a quick "Chair Audit." Take a piece of paper and list the top 5 things you *feel* you must prioritize this week (work deadlines, family events, personal goals, etc.). Now, write "God" above that list. When you feel the pull to put something else first, pause and ask: "Does this action honor the Lord first?"

If you're feeling the need for deeper doctrinal digging on this topic, I encourage you to look into the concept of divine priorities in the Iron Rod. It’s a rich read that helps frame this eternal perspective.

For those of you who are feeling the call to deepen your personal study, remember that the Social Scripture Study layer in LivingBook is a wonderful place to see how others are wrestling with scripture insights. It’s a beautiful way to feel connected to the global body of discipleship!

If you're feeling energized by this message and want to keep the momentum going, please join our next virtual gathering! We'll be discussing discipleship habits—details and sign-ups are posted in the main community feed.