What Is The Most Important Command Of God? Series

"A lighthouse along a bleak coast was tended by a keeper who was given enough oil for one month and told to keep the light burning every night. One day a woman asked for oil so that her children could stay warm. Then a farmer came. His son needed oil for a lamp so he could read. Still another needed some for an engine. The keeper saw each as a worthy request and measured out just enough oil to satisfy all. Near the end of the month, the tank in the lighthouse ran dry. That night the beacon was dark and three ships crashed on the rocks. More than 100 lives were lost.

When a government official investigated, the man explained what he had done and why. "You were given one task alone," insisted the official. "It was to keep the light burning. Everything else was secondary. There is no defense." -Source Unknown.

What is the highest priority in your life? That is the key question today. What is the most important thing? There are so many things that pull at our attention daily, our finances, our family, friends, commitments, chores, laundry, running errands, getting a haircut, going on vacation even. All these things pull at our attention. What is most important in life?

We all know the Sunday school answer: God should be first in your life. It’s easy to say that. But is it true? Or do we need to make an adjustment to our daily schedule? Do we need to carve out times to read the Bible, attend a small group, to pray and talk to God?

That is the challenge. If you can carve out those times in your busy schedule though, you will be one of those rare Christians who really glow with the power of God. The Holy Spirit will lead your life. And you’ll be securely on your way to heaven.

If you can’t quite carve out those prayer and bible reading times, and if you can’t quite make it to small group and church, then you’ll be one of those Christians who is unstable in their ways. You will be double-minded. You will be often confused and upset. You’ll be unsteady, and you’ll be liable to shipwreck.

Which do you want to be?

Conquer yourself. That is the challenge isn’t it? We’re not talking about something outside ourselves. We’re looking right into our own heart. Conquer yourself, he who can conquer himself is greater than he who can conquer a city.

The first step to conquer yourself: Realize you can’t. Surrender to that reality. I can’t do it alone. I can’t force myself to get there by pulling myself up by my bootstraps. I need God’s help. The first step is surrender. Honestly, that’s where I started when I couldn’t seem to get into a rhythm of praying and reading my Bible. I was too distracted by TV, my favorite series on Netflix, too distracted by videogames, and social media, and my laptop and my cell phone. I’d sit there knowing I should be praying as I stared at the TV, as I stared at the videogame or the computer screen or the cell phone screen, I knew, I should be praying, I should be reading the word.

But I felt held captive by the device. So, my first step was to stop, and pray and ask God for help with breaking free: God, help me please, I can’t seem to break away, please God do it in me, give me the power I need to carve out a prayer and Bible reading time each day. In Jesus name, amen.

And I found this new power in me, that had not been there before, and I was able to shut the lid on the laptop, put down the phone, and sit down on my floor, and talk to God in the dark at night. And later, in the mornings as well, and soon, it grew and grew over time, and when I wanted the time to grow, I would again turn to God, surrender, and ask for His help.

That process, of surrender, first, then turning toward God, then believing that God really can, and then watching him do it in you, as your cooperate with him, is a process that you can see repeated over and over again in your life.

If you struggle with drinking, or smoking, or porn, or lust, or stealing, or lying, or manipulation, or hatred, or unforgiveness, repeat this simple pattern:

First, surrender to God. God, I can’t do it alone.

Second, begin to believe God can do a miracle.

Third, turn it over completely to God and put it in His hands.

Fourth, watch as in His power, you overcome by the Holy Spirit victory in you.