“First things…first!”

If your childhood was anything like mine, that saying was ingrained in your mind, and for good reason.

In Christian transformational development we too must be constantly reminded to keep “First things…first.”

C.S. Lewis wisely noted,

“We must try by every medical, educational, economic and political means in our power to produce a world where all have plenty to eat. But we must not suppose that even if we succeeded in making everyone nice we should not have saved their souls. A world of nice people, content in their own niceness, looking no further, turned away from God, would be just as desperately in need of salvation as a miserable world – and might even be more difficult to save.”

Our first priority in Christian transformational development must be the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:11-21). Beyond that, we are to encourage and instruct, as to the benefits and contentment in a comprehensive, God-honoring life.

As Ron Rhodes points out in his book The Key Ideas Bible Handbook, our lives should reflect our Creator in three overarching areas,

“You and I are made in the image of God. Live accordingly! Genesis 1:27 tells us, ‘God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.’ Elsewhere in Scripture, we learn man was created in God’s image in the sense that he is a finite reflection of God in his rational nature (Colossians 3:10), in his moral nature (Ephesians 4:24), and in his dominion over creation (Genesis 1:27-28). In the same way the moon reflects the brilliant light of the sun, so finite man—as created in God’s image—is a reflection of God in these aspects.”

The basic necessities of food, water, shelter and even gainful employment can actually become hindrances to an individual’s all-important spiritual need of reconciliation with God through Christ Jesus, unless we remember to “Keep first things…first.”