Pastor’s Perspective: Who is really number one in our lives?

My wife Melanie and I are both super competitive. We both have athletic backgrounds: mine in baseball and hers in basketball. However, I believe we are both just naturally wired that way. We both love to win and hate to lose.

It also extends to games or sports played with our children. As parents, we have never purposefully let them win at anything, whether it is driveway basketball or tabletop UNO. They do win sometimes, but not because we let them. If they win, it is because they genuinely won the game. As a result, each of them is competitive.

We all naturally want to be first. Putting other people’s desires above our own is not the natural way of thinking or behaving. Toddlers do not have to be taught to be selfish; it is inherent.  

The Bible has a lot to say regarding our selfish, sinful nature. For example, Paul wrote to the Philippian church: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”  

This is not natural for anyone, but followers of Christ are called to be different. Even still, obedience to these commands can be incredibly difficult. This is an example of the constant battle waged between the spirit that comes through a relationship with Christ and the flesh that we are naturally born with.

One of my favorite verses in all of Scripture happens to contain one of my favorite words in all of scripture. In fact, this word is only used once in the entire Bible. It is the word “preeminent.” It is not a word that we often use in our everyday vocabulary. It means “to be first” or “to have first place.”  

So, if we use that word in relation to our lives, we could say that we all naturally want to be preeminent or to be first.  But, the one time this word is used in scripture, it is not used to describe just anyone. Paul used the word in his letter to the Colossian church - but he didn’t use it to describe himself or anyone in that particular church. He used it to describe the only One that is worthy of the word, the Lord Jesus!  

Colossians 1:18 says: “And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent.” 

Jesus’ rightful position in the church and in each one of our lives is number one. Surrendering the authority in our lives and submitting to someone else is not natural. When we surrender first place in our lives to Him, there is immeasurable satisfaction and joy to be found!  

Who is preeminent or first in your life? I challenge you to willingly become second and surrender to the preeminent King Jesus!