There are seasons when my planner feels like a game of Tetris.
Work deadlines compete with family responsibilities. Volunteer commitments overlap with appointments. The laundry needs folded, the dishes need washed, emails need answered, and someone always needs a ride somewhere. By the time I crawl into bed at night, I often find myself wondering where the day went.
Maybe you know that feeling too.
As moms, we spend so much of our lives pouring into other people that it can feel impossible to find enough time for everything. We tell ourselves we’ll spend more time with God when life slows down. We’ll serve more when our schedule isn’t so packed. We’ll be more intentional when things settle down.
The problem is that life rarely settles down.
There’s always another season, another responsibility, another reason to wait.
And if we’re not careful, God ends up receiving what’s left after everyone and everything else has been taken care of.
Not because we don’t love Him.
Not because we don’t value Him.
But because we’re trying to fit Him into the margins of lives that already feel overflowing.
The truth is that many of us have unknowingly developed a leftovers mentality when it comes to our relationship with God.
Yet Scripture invites us into something different.
It invites us to live with a firstfruits heart.
When God Gets What’s Left
I don’t think most Christian moms wake up in the morning and intentionally decide to put God last.
In fact, many of us genuinely desire a deeper relationship with Him.
The challenge is that our days fill up so quickly.
We start the morning by checking notifications. We immediately begin thinking about work, schedules, meals, transportation, errands, finances, and everything else demanding our attention.
Before we know it, the day is halfway over.
Then evening arrives.
We’re exhausted.
We tell ourselves we’ll spend time with God tomorrow.
We’ll read our Bible tomorrow.
We’ll pray more tomorrow.
We’ll slow down tomorrow.
But tomorrow comes and looks remarkably similar to today.
Over time, God receives our leftover moments.
The few minutes we can spare.
The energy that remains after we’ve given everything else away.
The attention we have left after the world’s demands have already consumed most of it.
The same thing can happen with generosity.
We tell ourselves we’ll give when the budget is less tight.
We’ll help when we’re less busy.
We’ll serve when we have more capacity.
We’ll be generous when we feel more secure.
In both cases, we’re operating from leftovers rather than firstfruits.
Understanding the Biblical Principle of Firstfruits
Throughout the Old Testament, God’s people were instructed to bring Him the firstfruits of their harvest.
The firstfruits were exactly what they sound like—the first and best portion of what was produced.
For farmers, this wasn’t a small request.
They didn’t know how the rest of the harvest would turn out.
They couldn’t see the final outcome.
They didn’t know if weather conditions would change or if unexpected challenges would arise.
Yet God asked them to bring the first portion before they knew exactly how much they would ultimately have.
Why?
Because firstfruits were never primarily about agriculture.
They were about trust.
Giving the first portion required faith.
It was a declaration that God was the provider.
It acknowledged that everything they had ultimately belonged to Him anyway.
The principle still matters today.
Most of us aren’t bringing baskets of grain to the temple, but we’re still faced with the same question:
Will we trust God enough to give Him the first and best of what we’ve been given?
Or will we wait to see if there’s anything left?
Why We Struggle to Give God First Place
If I’m honest, I don’t usually struggle because I don’t care.
I struggle because I’m afraid.
Not necessarily afraid in an obvious way.
But underneath the surface, there’s often a fear that there won’t be enough.
Not enough time.
Not enough energy.
Not enough money.
Not enough margin.
Not enough emotional capacity.
Many moms live in a constant state of managing competing priorities. We carry responsibilities at home, responsibilities at work, responsibilities in our communities, and responsibilities within our families.
There is always something demanding our attention.
Because of that, it can feel risky to give God the first part of our day.
It can feel risky to be generous when finances are tight.
It can feel risky to serve when we’re already tired.
We worry that giving something away will leave us with less.
Less time.
Less energy.
Less security.
Less control.
Yet at the heart of firstfruits is the understanding that God can do more with what remains than we can do by clinging tightly to everything ourselves.
That’s the tension many of us wrestle with.
We want to trust God.
But we also want guarantees.
Faith rarely offers guarantees.
It offers trust.
The Problem With Waiting for More Margin
One of the biggest traps moms fall into is believing that we’ll prioritize God later.
Later when the kids are older.
Later when work calms down.
Later when finances improve.
Later when life feels more manageable.
The problem is that every season comes with its own challenges.
When the kids are little, we’re exhausted from constant caregiving.
When they’re older, we’re running from activity to activity.
When work slows down, another responsibility takes its place.
When one financial burden disappears, another often emerges.
There is always a reason to postpone intentionality.
There is always a reason to wait.
But waiting for perfect circumstances often becomes a way of avoiding trust.
If we only give God our attention when life becomes easy, we may spend years waiting for a season that never arrives.
God isn’t asking us to wait until everything is under control.
He’s inviting us to seek Him in the middle of the chaos.
Not after the storm passes.
During it.
Not when our schedule clears.
While it’s full.
Not when we feel completely prepared.
Right where we are.
What Firstfruits Looks Like for Moms Today
Living with a firstfruits heart doesn’t require perfection.
That’s important because many moms hear messages about prioritizing God and immediately feel guilty.
This isn’t about checking religious boxes.
It’s about intentionally putting God first.
For some moms, that might mean spending a few quiet minutes with Him before scrolling social media.
For others, it might mean beginning the day with prayer before opening email.
It may mean choosing generosity even when the budget feels uncomfortable.
It may mean serving someone else when convenience says not to.
It may mean offering God the best part of your attention instead of whatever happens to be left over.
The specific application will look different for every family.
The principle remains the same.
We stop asking, “Will I have enough left?”
And start asking, “What would it look like to trust God first?”
That’s the shift.
Not perfection.
Not performance.
Trust.
From Obligation to Trust
For many years, I thought conversations about giving were mostly about obligation.
Do this.
Give that.
Serve here.
Volunteer there.
But the more I study Scripture, the more I realize that God’s invitation is much deeper than obligation.
He wants our hearts.
And our priorities reveal our hearts.
That’s why firstfruits matter.
Not because God needs our time.
Not because God needs our money.
Not because God needs our service.
He invites us to give because He knows what giving reveals.
It reveals what we trust.
It reveals what we value.
It reveals where our security truly rests.
I’ve come to believe something simple but powerful:
Leftovers require no faith. Firstfruits require trust.
Giving God our leftovers doesn’t require much dependence on Him.
Giving Him our first and best does.
Every time we choose to prioritize Him before we know how everything else will work out, we’re making a statement of faith.
We’re saying:
“Lord, I trust You with what remains.”
The Legacy of a Firstfruits Heart
While this message is primarily about our own relationship with God, it does impact the people around us.
Our children notice what matters to us.
Our families notice what receives our attention.
But even beyond that, a firstfruits mindset changes us.
It transforms the way we approach our days.
Instead of constantly operating from scarcity, we begin operating from trust.
Instead of clinging tightly to every resource we have, we learn to hold them with open hands.
Instead of waiting until we feel secure enough to be generous, we discover that generosity itself strengthens our faith.
Over time, that transformation becomes part of the legacy we leave behind.
Not because we were perfect.
Not because we always got it right.
But because we consistently pointed our hearts back toward God.
Final Thoughts
My planner is still full.
My responsibilities haven’t disappeared.
Life is still busy.
But I’ve realized something important.
God isn’t asking me to find leftover space for Him after everything else is finished.
He’s inviting me to trust Him with the first and best of what He’s already given me.
The invitation isn’t about having more time, more money, or more margin.
It’s about shifting our hearts from leftovers to firstfruits.
Because when we stop waiting until we have enough left over and start trusting God with the first portion, something begins to change.
Not just our habits.
Our hearts.
Reflection Questions
- In what area of your life are you most likely to give God your leftovers instead of your firstfruits—your time, attention, energy, finances, or something else?
- What fears make it difficult for you to put God first? Are you worried there won’t be enough time, money, energy, or margin for everything else?
- How have you seen God provide for you in seasons when you chose to trust Him, even when the outcome felt uncertain?
- What is one practical way you can give God the first and best of your day, week, or resources this week?
- If your current priorities reflected the condition of your heart, what would they reveal about where your trust is placed today?
Closing Prayer
Lord, Thank You for being a faithful provider in every season of life. Thank You for seeing the demands we carry, the responsibilities we manage, and the burdens that often weigh heavily on our hearts. Lord, forgive us for the times we have pushed You to the edges of our lives and offered You only what was left over after everything else demanded our attention. Help us recognize that You are not another task to fit into our schedules but the foundation upon which everything else should be built. Teach us to trust You more deeply. When we fear there won’t be enough time, energy, money, or margin, remind us that You are our source. Give us the courage to place You first, even when it feels uncomfortable and even when we cannot see how everything will work out. Transform our hearts from a mindset of scarcity to a mindset of trust. Help us offer You our first and best rather than waiting to see what remains. May our lives reflect a growing dependence on You and a confidence in Your faithfulness. As we seek You first, shape us into women who leave a legacy of faith, trust, and obedience for those around us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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