Rick Warren: Put God First in These 5 Areas to Receive His Blessing

By Katherine Weber, Christian Post Reporter Monday, June 27, 2016

Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, speaks at the Pastors' Conference 2014, ahead of the Southern Baptist Convention's Annual Meeting, on Monday, June 9, 2014, in Baltimore, Md. | (Photo: The Christian Post/Sonny Hong)

If people truly want God's blessing in life, they need to put Him first, Pastor Rick Warren says.

Warren, the senior pastor of Saddleback Church in Orange County, California, advises in his Daily Devotional on Monday that Christians must fully commit to God to receive His blessing, citing 1 Thessalonians 2:12 which reads: "You should live in a way that proves you belong to the God who calls you into His Kingdom and glory."

"The Kingdom of God is a present reality," he explains. "It's what we're to be doing on the Earth right now. The power of God is the present resource. It's the energy you get to do what God wants you to do once you're surrendered and submitted to His will. God's glory is the reason. It's not the reality or the resource. It is the present reason for everything. It's all for God's glory.

"What does it mean to live in God's Kingdom? It means you make God's agenda your agenda. You make God's will your will. You care about what God cares about. Whatever you want God to bless, put Him first in that area," Warren adds.

There are five areas where Christians can put God first: finances, interests, relationships, schedule, and troubles. By putting God first in all of these areas, Warren, says, people can combat negative feelings and emotions.

Warren explained in a previous blog post titled "Fear Rejection? Put God First" that by making God's will paramount, people can stave off the fear of rejection.

"The fear of rejection is based on two things. First, we all need to be loved — that's a fact. We all desperately need massive doses of love in our life to be healthy individuals," Warren said.

"When you expect someone else to meet 100 percent of your need for love, you're asking for trouble. You're setting yourself up for hurt and opening the door for the fear of rejection. When you look to any other person besides God to meet all your love needs, he or she can't. There is no human being alive that can love you as completely and as fully as you need to be loved, and there never will be. Only God can do that."