In The Proper Order
2 Corinthians 8:5 and 21 NKJV
5 And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.
21 providing honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.
The British use the word 'proper' more frequently than we do. Joy reminded me the other day that for years I thought I was from English descent. DNA helped me discover that I was not. But according to the online dictionary, 'proper' means "Characterized by appropriateness or suitability; fitting." And the word is fitting for our two verses today.
This is one of the devotionals that is not necessarily contextual. But it does show us something, a principle. The principle is the Lord first, then man. When it comes to whatever we do in life, the proper, fitting, appropriate order of things is the Lord first and then man.
Paul understood this principle, commending the Corinthian church for giving themselves to the Lord first and then to Paul and his team. And Paul references the proper order in verse twenty-one when he speaks of being honorable in the sight of the Lord first and then to man. Paul was much more attuned to pleasing the Lord and was very conscious of the importance of his relationship with God. This may have been one of the secrets to Paul's perseverance in the face of many extreme difficulties. Looking to please the Lord first helped him stay on mission. And looking to please the Lord first gave him the courage he needed to stand in the face of opposition from the religious Jews and the angry Gentiles.
Pleasing the Lord and being honorable in His sight first will typically align us well with men. Being conscious of pleasing the Lord and reaching the lost was something Paul never lost sight of. Whenever possible, we want to do right by the people in our sphere of life. But when push comes to shove, the proper order is to please the Lord first.
Application
There have been times when I chose to please the Lord, and it did not sit well with people. My parents did not want me to start a church in Texas. They wanted me to stay in North Carolina. But it's the Lord first. Over the years, decisions have been made regarding family and church that required us to do things in the proper order, the Lord first, then people. Not everyone was happy. Not everyone understood. But if we are pleasing to the Lord first, we'll stand on solid ground. People come and go, and their motives and intentions are not always based on truth. But God never changes, and pleasing Him is the best long-term strategy.
So we constantly have to make sure we recalibrate our hearts so that we'll do things in the proper order. This is not a one-time decision. We choose daily.
Prayer
Lord, help me be more aware of You and pleasing You first. I want to be honorable in Your sight and in the sight of man.