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I Wish I Had the Time to Put God FirstBy Steve Gallagher
Most of the first 17 years of Pure Life Ministries were what I would characterize as a time of “happy bedlam.” All went fairly well until the year 2000, when ministry growth began to take its toll. It seemed as though we suddenly found our “mom-and-pop” managerial style constantly leaving us “behind the 8-ball.” In other words, rather than being proactive in our decision-making, we continuously found ourselves in situations that required a reaction.
It was in 2003 that the Lord called Tom Blangiardo to join our staff and bring his years of business experience into play as our new administrator. How ill-prepared we were for the agonies we would face once he began implementing systems and controls into the business end of the ministry. Yet, as difficult as that transition period was, I am convinced that the new disciplined work environment he established has allowed us to accomplish far more for the Kingdom of God than we ever could have under the ragtag style of the first 17 years.
What Pure Life Ministries experienced during this time is very comparable to what the typical new believer experiences. Having spent his entire life “flying by the seat of his pants,” he now finds himself under the governorship of a new Administrator intent on introducing “systems and controls” into his life. In fact, he soon discovers that the Lord is now holding him accountable for the two most precious commodities he possesses—Time and Money. Not only will he be required to establish and adhere to a “budget,” but he also will be expected to “redeem his time.”
Most new believers learn quickly that they must tithe their income. It seems that every time they turn around they are hearing some teaching about the crucial part giving plays in the Christian life. Those who resist this commandment soon find themselves buried under a rash of unexpected expenses such as car problems, doctor visits and so on. In spite of the fact that these unwanted difficulties only exacerbate their finances, they find the demand to tithe remains steadfast. “But I can’t afford to tithe!” they often exclaim. “Yes, but I will make sure that you cannot afford NOT to tithe,” is the answer from Heaven. All but the most rebellious eventually fall in line and soon discover the blessings of financial obedience. (Malachi 3:10)
The need to tithe one’s time is a lesson that isn’t typically learned so quickly. People are generally more willing to give money than time because, as painful as it can be to give of one’s finances, the cost of giving oneself can seem even more painful. Someone rightly summed up this dilemma when he said, “Time is the substance of life. When anyone asks you to give your time, they’re really asking for a chunk of your life.”
The most important “chunk of your life” you can give to the Lord is a time each day entirely “devoted” to Him. If Jesus is truly Lord of your life and you are committed to serve and please Him, you must spend time with Him: time expressing gratitude and worship; time to learn His ways and seek His will through His Word; and time to seek His help and blessing for that day.
Of course, spending time in such spiritual exercises is not desirable to the flesh. It requires discipline to establish such a habit—the same kind of discipline a growing business must establish if it is ever to become a legitimate enterprise. It requires a believer to be proactive in taking control of his time, rather than reactively trying to fit God into a life congested with other priorities. If the person will persist in this new discipline, he will eventually discover this new habit has become effortless and even enjoyable. Not everyone is quick to learn this lesson, however.
The Jewish exiles who returned to Jerusalem from Babylon were taught a similar moral when they ignored their commission to rebuild the Temple. They couldn’t understand why everything was going wrong in life. It was the prophet Haggai who introduced them to Heaven’s economy: “You have sown much, but harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes… You look for much, but behold, it comes to little.” (Haggai 1:6-9) In other words, because they put their personal interests before God’s directive, a divine curse was looming over their lives.
In the same way that the Jewish people faced constant frustration, so too will the believer who attempts to sidestep the economy of Heaven. A.W. Tozer put it this way: “The Christian who is satisfied to give God His ‘minute’ and to have ‘a little talk with Jesus’ is the same one who shows up at the evangelistic service weeping over his retarded spiritual growth and begging the evangelist to show him the way out of his difficulty.”
The truth of the matter is that God loves us too much to allow excuses and other loves to thwart the precious relationship He desires to enjoy with us. If we won’t willingly seek His face, He will allow the barrenness of a carnal life to drive us to His throne in search of help.
Tithing one’s finances and giving God the firstfruits of one’s time both represent what it means to live by faith. What is faith if it isn’t obeying Him in the face of our capricious feelings and challenging circumstances? To “live by faith” means that God’s presence, God’s will, and God’s promised blessings and threatened curses all loom larger in one’s thinking than the bills and activities of earth life.
Of course, any heathen can donate some time and money when there is plenty to go around, but it is a sign of a righteous life when a believer takes a stand for his life with God even when it requires sacrifice.
The ultimate question each of us must face is who we are going to live for. If we consecrate our time to God, He will prove Himself faithful to provide for all our needs. (Matthew 6:33-34) But if we claim to be Christians and yet are intent upon spending our time living for Self, Heaven’s economy will demand that our lives are unfruitful and unrewarding.
Are you one of those Christians who simply is too busy to put God first in your life? Then I think I can assure you that the only thing you are likely to hear from Heaven will be, “Yes, but I will make sure that you cannot afford NOT to make time for Me.”
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| | Steve Gallagher is the founder and president of Pure Life Ministries. He has dedicated his life to helping men find freedom from sexual sin and the abundant life in God that comes through deep repentance.
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| Copyright © 2026 by Pure Life Ministries. Permission is granted to use, copy, distribute, or retransmit information or materials on this page, so long as proper acknowledgment is given to Pure Life Ministries as the source of the materials, and no modifications are made to such material.
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| | | Jesus said you can’t serve two masters, because you can only be truly devoted to one. The One all Christians should be devoted to is Christ.
But are we?
Why do so many Christian organizations exist to help Christians out of addictions? Perhaps it has to do with our devotion and who our hearts truly serve. In this week’s episode, Patrick Hudson delves into the seriousness of knowing what our hearts are truly fixed on and encourages us to pursue a life that is wholly devoted to God.
Watch more podcast episodes on our WEBSITE. |
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