Matthew 8:21      

“Then another of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’” 

Jesus is the First and the Last. Jesus will not accept any other position or any other place but the first place. Once we have promoted something or someone else to the position of first, Jesus will decline His presence because Jesus will not accept the second place to anything or anyone. Even when a disciple sought for a reasonable permission to demote Jesus from being first, this was totally unacceptable. 

The first and critical criteria in following Jesus is deciding His position in your life. Everything we do is lined up in a scale of personal priorities. And while we may not say it, our body language and our activity schedules clearly declare the priorities in our lives. If Jesus must find a place in our lifestyle and daily life operations, then Jesus must always be first. And if we cannot place Him as first now and here, then we cannot expect Him to bring us into the eternal abode where He is always first. The community of true worshippers are those who have settled this fundamental issue. They all bow now in time even as they will bow in eternity; they bow to the Lordship and Headship of Jesus the Christ. He is the firstborn from the dead, the first and only begotten Son of the Father, the First and the Last. My soul must celebrate in putting Jesus first as the Chief Cornerstone because in so doing, all other pillars and poles find their strength and place in upholding the building of my life-house. May the Church of Jesus also practically put Him first in the worship service, in the budget allocation, in the placement of stewards and ministers, in the scale of ministry priorities and ministry directions. It has to be always about Jesus- as first in all things. 

“Jesus, my life has no rhythm, meaning, direction or purpose- when You are not first. My life can only have a pleasant and sweet aroma when You are first. Jesus, deliver me from all those cruel intruders who seek to connive with my flesh to oust You from Your position as the first and foremost. With Your help and by grace, I commit to always make You the first in every situation. This I pray in your name. Amen.”