God doesn’t do second

One thing I have noticed in my Christian journey is that God wants to be first. He doesn’t do second. I was reading that piece in Luke’s Gospel where Jesus tells the story of the great banquet. Someone is about to throw a party and invites some people. One guy makes the excuse that he can’t attend because he’s just bought a field. The second one says he’s just bought five yoke of oxen and he wants to try them out. The third says bluntly, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ (Luke 14:16-20, NIV). The end result of this is that these people don’t go to the banquet; others are invited instead. They miss out because they had ‘more important’ things to do. To put it in modern-day terms: ‘I’ve just bought a new kitchen/car/ride-on mower. I’m going to be way too take up with that to spend time with you, Jesus.’ … ‘Sorry, Lord, I’ve got a new contract and I’ve got to work. Can’t come to church for a few weeks.’ … ‘Eh? Jesus who? Sorry, I’ve got this new relationship and all I can think about is Derek/Lucy/other.’
All of this says ‘idolatry’; we are simply not putting God first. And he is the only one who can give us the foundational love and fulfilment we seek. If we are looking to get out needs met by A. N. Other, we will be disappointed. Putting Jesus first, and our relationship with him before all else, means we will become the person he has designed us to be – married or single. And as our confidence in Christ grows, surely we will be all the more discerning, growing in wisdom and able to trust him for the right person at the right time, even if that means waiting. For when – if it’s God’s will – we then do meet that person, we will be able to bring so much more of Christ to them; and that surely would be a match made in heaven.