5 Ways to Put God First When You're Struggling

Lisa Brown
Updated Feb 08, 2023

Putting God first in our lives means different things to different people. Some may think it’s going to church every Sunday. Others may believe serving homeless people a meal every Saturday night is putting God first.

Many Christians think that they are putting God first by being a good person.

We are God’s children and He is a loving God who sent His son to die on the cross for our sins. Putting God first means accepting that He loves us unconditionally. Christians often have difficulty trusting God and seeking Him first in all things. We struggle to live a life of grace, place our hope in Him, and please Him.

Here are five questions with biblical answers to help us put God first in times of struggle.

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Putting God First When We're Afraid

We put God first in our lives when we trust Him to take care of us (Joshua 1:9). Instead of panicking and withdrawing, we give Him all of our worries. He wants us to face our trials and tribulations with bold confidence in Him (Ephesians 3:12).

We allow God to do His wonders in our lives when we rely on him and not on ourselves. In times of trouble, we put God first when we worship from deep within our hearts (John 16:33) and praise Him instead of fretting—when we remind ourselves of all the good He does. How can we be afraid when God is for us and not against us?

Putting God First When We're Lonely

We put God first in our lives when we seek Him because we know He cares—when we go to Him for comfort on a tough day.

God will give us strength when we wait upon Him (Isaiah 40:31). He is the one we must depend on for hope and reassurance, and we find these things in His living word, the Bible.

God is with us when no one else is. When we feel that no one understands our feelings, we can be sure that He does.

Sometimes, the best response to loneliness is loving on God’s people. When we feel that we have been forgotten, we can put God first by serving those who are poor in spirit—the widows and the orphans.

Putting God First When We're Angry

We do not sin in our anger and we forgive.

Anger is a sign that something is wrong in our lives and we need to do something differently. We put God first when we seek to find His direction and ask Him to change our hearts.

Anger becomes a problem when we sin (Ephesians 4:26). Acting out in anger is immature and can be harmful to us and those around us. A heart full of grace and patience is much more appealing and useful to God.

We put God first when we choose to forgive others and receive forgiveness.

Ask God to take your anger that is keeping you from living a healthy life of peace and fill your heart with His unconditional love and understanding.

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Putting God First When We're Grieving

We put our hope in God.

Grieving in and of its self is not a bad thing. Christians are sometimes tempted to question God’s love for them when sad things happen. But what if we embraced grief without blaming God for our loss?

Anger is a huge part of grieving, as are shock and denial. We don’t want to experience these hard places alone. When we put God first, we bring Him into our suffering, and He shows us the way to life, truth, and joy.

Putting God first in our grief is allowing Him to be in control of our circumstances. God has a good plan for those who love Him. When there is hardship, we put our hope in Him.

We put God first by relying on His promise to never leave us nor forsake us.

Putting God First When We Feel Rejected

We live our lives to please God, not man.

This doesn't mean that we completely disregard how our choices affect others; it simply means we don't place our identity in what they think of us.

Our worth doesn’t come from the approval or disapproval of others. There is always going to be somebody that is disappointed with our choices. We put God first when we seek to do His Will instead of worrying about the opinions of others.

Our approval comes from God, and He has already accepted us! We put God first by accepting what His Son did on the cross for us. We have nothing to prove to others, and it’s alright if they don’t like what we stand for. Part of being mature in God is not letting others discourage us from what God is calling us to do.

Christian’s are in this world but not of this world. We put God first in our lives by saying yes to God and no to others. People can’t tell us who we should be or what we should do because God is the one who made us for His purpose.

You see, putting God first is more about our responses to life’s struggles. God is the answer to everything that matters. Acts of discipline, like going to church or serving others, are only part of putting God first. We also have to set our minds on Him and allow Him to change our hearts so that we can live a life that pleases Him.

Lisa Brown is an aspiring writer and owner of The Family Roadmap Blog and a Parent Coach at the National Center Of Biblical Parenting. She has a 10-year-old son and a 9-year-old daughter, and has been married to her husband for 13 years. Prior to marriage, she worked for over 20 years enriching the lives of hundreds of children and families. Lisa has a bachelors in social work and early childhood education. To meet with Lisa about a parent concern or if you would like for Lisa to write an article or blog post, you can contact Lisa here.