Many people say that family is the most important thing in life. While it’s true that family holds great significance, others might view things differently. For some, their greatest priority might be their talents, spouses, friends, careers, or even pets. Most Christians would say that God is the most important—at least, that’s what you’d expect. However, viewing God as just another item on a list of priorities misses the mark entirely. God doesn’t belong on any list; He is above and beyond all lists.

Our families, friends, loved ones, talents, careers, pets, and possessions are all incredible blessings. But God is not merely a blessing—He is the Source. He is the one who gives us life itself and fills it with goodness. Recognizing the distinction between the Giver and His gifts is vital.

Gifts are temporary; they are entrusted to us for a time. Think back to a moment when you desperately wanted a gift and begged your parents for it. When you finally received it, how long did it take before that once-prized possession was forgotten in a closet, buried in the garage, or tossed in a donation pile? The sobering truth is that, in those moments, we often valued the gift more than the parents who gave it to us. We were thrilled with what we had received but failed to cherish the greater gift—the love and presence of those who gave it.

When we place God on a list of priorities—alongside family, friends, loved ones, talents, careers, pets, and possessions—even if He’s at the top, everything on that list inevitably competes for control of our hearts. But when we take God off the list entirely and recognize Him as the Giver of all things, only He holds rightful authority over our hearts. This perspective changes everything.

For example, my child is a gift from God, not my possession. When I see her as my possession, I become overly protective, trying to shape her life according to my own ideas of what is right. I hold on so tightly that it becomes unhealthy. But recognizing her as a gift from God reminds me that she has been entrusted to me for a season. I am responsible to God for how I raise her, knowing that one day, I must entrust her back to Him. This understanding frees me to guide her toward building her own relationship with God rather than trying to control her path. It also allows me to cherish her for who she truly is, knowing that our time together is limited. With this perspective, I can raise her with confidence, trusting that even if I’m no longer here, God’s influence will remain in her life—as it should be.

When we cling to our gifts, prioritize them above God, and forget that He is their source, those very gifts can become tools Satan uses against us. He twists them into dependencies that pull our hearts away from God, leaving us spiritually weak and distracted from the One we are meant to rely on. Instead of living, working, and finding meaning in God, we begin to anchor our lives and identities in the gifts themselves, losing sight of the Giver who is the true source of our purpose.

Eventually, all our gifts will be taken away, but the Giver—God—can never be taken from us. He is the one who gave us life, breath, and bodies so that we could live. He blesses us with good things and allows us to enjoy them through His grace. These gifts are not ours to own; they are entrusted to us for a time. But the extraordinary truth is this: when we surrender to our Creator, God Himself becomes ours—a treasure we can cherish for all eternity.