Live Second

If you are a follower of my blog, you know that I began my year with a word. That word was

LIVE

I have tried my best to LIVE the way God wants me to. To be the wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, and teacher He has called me to be.

Recently, I was contacted by Doug Bender, the author of I am Second. Because I read and reviewed this book, he asked me if I would be interested in helping promote his newest book Live Second. Of course, I said, "YES." Unfortunately, I totally dropped the ball on my end of the deal.  Sorry, Doug. 

However, when I stop to think about it, maybe I didn't totally drop the ball.  Because you see, since I made the commitment to Doug, I have being living second.

You see, I am first and foremost a child of God. I belong to Him.  Before I can say "I am Second" or make the commitment to "Live Second," I have to surrender my life to God.  Without doing that, this post would not be possible.

As a child of God, I have to make a daily decision to surrender to Him.  Sure, there are some days I want to be selfish and live for me, but that is not what I (or you) have been called to do.  You see, Adam and Eve did not live second. They lived for themselves.  Because of their sin, God had to loved us so much that He gave us a way to change that. He gave us a way to live second and that is through His son Jesus Christ. 

I think back to my life before I met Jesus.  I blush in embarrassment of the things I did and said.  But since I surrendered my life to Jesus in the summer of 2004, I am proud to say that I LIVE SECOND!  Jesus is first in my life.  He is my everything.

I love my husband. I love my children. And I will admit that it was hard to say, I love Jesus more. If I didn't love Him more than my family, there is no way I could be who He has planned for me to be, who they need me to be.  I have to be second. 

People say they don't want church, they don't want Jesus because they think there is a list of rules to go by. They don't want to be told how to live.  Life won't be fun anymore.

Let me just say, I don't know anyone who has regretted making the decision to live second.  Life, my friends, is hard.  Jesus doesn't make a promise to make it easy. He only promises to walk with us.  He wants to stand in first place in my (and your) life. He wants me (and you) lean on Him, to find answers in Him. He wants to give me (and you) a hope and a future. The best decision I have ever made is to make Jesus first in my life, to live second for Him.  I promise you that if you make that decision, you can boldly tell others that you are second. 

God has made me into someone I never thought I'd be.  I am a woman who has always been uncomfortable in my own skin. Group situations have always been difficult. If someone didn't speak to me first, it was highly unlikely that I would speak to them at all.  Ya'll, I even hate making a phone call to order a pizza.  How sick and twisted is that?!? 

But God has transformed me.  I teach Sunday school for adults and children and teach VBS.  I lead women's Bible studies.  I am a leader in my workplace. I am an Army Chaplain's wife.  I opened my life to the blog world.  I love who God is making me.  My confidence is building, not in myself, but in Him who is working through me.  Nothing I say is boasting of me, but of His good work.  I know if He can transform me, then He can transform you. 

I guess I'm not really promoting Doug's new book. I am promoting Jesus.  I love Him. I want the world to love Him.  Can you imagine the changes we would see in the world if more people decided to LIVE SECOND?