Before reading this post, make sure you've read the previous two posts on this series. For the first one, click here. For the one before this one, click here. For this next blog post, we're going to delve into the sometimes unpleasant but always perfect fact that God is righteous and detests sin. I say unpleasant fact because our nature as humans is to act as though we are the center of everything. I know I see it everywhere I go and I struggle with it in almost every thought I think. This may be something that we try to deny or cover up, but it always rears its ugly, sinful head. Thankfully, God is willing and able to give us the strength to do something radically painful and wonderful: Put him first.

As we take a swift tour of this selfish tendency we have, let us also remember that God is righteous and if we are to ever be filled with joy and peace in our lives, we have to put him first. As I wrote in the last post, we were never meant to be the center of our own universe.

Let's look at this next section of scripture and really see our own nature pulsating forth in all its dark hues: Haggai 1:5-11, "Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. 6 You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes. 7 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. 8 Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord. 9 You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. 10 Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast, and on all their labors."

I know that's a bit of a mouthful for a blog post, but I wanted to tackle it in one piece. This is that part where God says, "You are putting yourselves first, and it is hurting you badly. You have become hungry, thirsty, cold, frustrated and penniless, all because you decided to set your foundation on something other than me. Put me first and I will be glorified and you will be satisfied."

I really feel like I need to include Matthew 6:25-33 in this blog. Yes, it's another chunk of scripture, but the parallels with these verses in Haggai are stunning: “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air:they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow:they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat? ’ or ‘What shall we drink? ’ or ‘What shall we wear? ’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

I love that right in the middle of that section of scripture, God throws the Israelites a life preserver: "Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord." (Haggai 1:8) This may seem like God is just a throwing a temper tantrum and just wants his people to pay attention to him. There are times - undoubtably when I'm at my worst - that I think of how unfair it is that I have to do all this stuff for God. Why does he need it anyways? But there is a very important thought that keeps coming back: There is no lasting happiness, satisfaction and prosperity outside of God. His very nature is goodness itself and if we choose to dwell outside of his life, we are left with a vacuum that strips us bare.

To close up this blog, let's take a step outside of ourselves and our own orbit and ask a two objective questions:

1. In what areas of my life am I orbiting around myself and not God?
2. Is there any part of God's temple in me that needs repair and restoration, with God's help?

Let's pray this together: God, please help me always seek you first. I am sick of spinning out of control like a sloppy gyroscope; bring me into your perfect peace and glory that I may dwell with you forever, forgetting the past and pressing on to the goal that is before me, which is you! Amen!

For the next and final post in this series, click here.