I will be forever grateful to a lady by the name of Gertha Alston. Why? Because she said something to me before I obeyed the Gospel that still resonates in my ear when we are discussing certain passages of Scripture. Without going into the word-for-word, she said to make sure that the person you are interested in puts the Lord first.

I thought about this again, not just in the context she addressed (which would only make perfect sense that a faithful Christian would look first at the spiritual personality as a primary consideration for a mate), and then put some other things we think/do that should demand the same conscientiousness:

Do I think of my responsibility to the Lord when considering a job? Will it interfere?
Do I think of the Lord first when considering my vacations? Do I make sure that I will be able to worship with sound congregations and not just whoever is available?
Is God first when I look for a place to live (or relocate), or does the place and salary determine what I do?
Am I often too sick for worship or Bible class, but up bright and early for work the next day?
Are my best friends strong Christians or are they in the weak and non-Christian category?

You could easily add more, but the point is hard to miss. Mrs. Alston spoke of the importance of putting the Lord and church first, and we have certainly seen how the Lord emphasized that many times.

Johnny Oxendine