In the movie Talladega Nights, Ricky Bobby confidently says, “If you’re not first, you’re last.” It is one of those lines that stuck. People still laugh about it and repeat it years later. The movie itself is a classic, and that line captures something funny and true about how we often see the world. Everyone wants to be first. We want to win, to be noticed, to succeed, and to feel like we are ahead.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to do well. God designed us with purpose and passion. He gives us dreams to chase, work to do, and skills to use. Scripture says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord” (Colossians 3:23). God calls us to give our best effort. But He also reminds us that no matter how high we climb or how much we achieve, He always comes first.

That is what “I am second” truly means. The phrase became popular through a Christian movement started in 2008, where athletes, musicians, and ordinary people shared their stories of faith. Each one ended by declaring, “I am second,” as a way of saying that Jesus comes first. It is a simple but powerful statement of surrender. It reminds us that life only makes sense when God is above everything else.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” When God is first, everything else finds balance. You stop working for approval and start working from identity. You stop chasing attention and start chasing purpose.

Even Jesus lived this way. Philippians 2:5–8 reminds us that He humbled Himself, taking on the very nature of a servant. He obeyed the Father’s will completely, even to the point of death on a cross. The Son of God, who had every right to be first, chose to put the Father’s plan above His own. That is the ultimate picture of what it means to live second.

John the Baptist modeled this same mindset when he said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). John was not competing with Jesus. His mission was to point people toward Him. That is what living second looks like — not less success, but more surrender.

When God is first, you are free. Free to work hard without fear. Free to celebrate others without comparison. Free to rest knowing that your worth is not in what you achieve but in who you belong to.

So go after your goals. Lead well. Work with excellence. Just remember who comes first. Being second to God will always keep you in the right place.

Because in the end, life is not about being first in everything. It is about putting the right One first in everything.

When you’re not sure how to pray, A.C.T.S. gives you a simple path to follow: Adore, Confess, Thank, and Ask.

Adoration: God, You are first above everything. All I have comes from You.

Confession: Forgive me for the moments I put myself first, before you. Help me to stay humble and surrendered.

Thanksgiving: Thank You for giving me purpose and reminding me that real peace comes when You are first.

Supplication: Teach me to live with an “I am second” heart and let my life point others to You.

In Jesus name, Amen

“Less Like Me” by Zach Williams

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Zach and the Daily Devotion team