Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well .- Matthew 6:33
Hi friends,I’m sure all of you have read this verse more than once and some may even have it memorized since our days at Sunday school!Let me share my views on why this verse makes the cornerstone of my faith!God has taught me a great deal about how to live and enjoy life – and have it in abundance till it overflows (John 10:10)…
I believe that life should be a celebration. Far too many people don’t even enjoy life, let alone celebrate it! I’ve come to the conclusion that there is nothing as tragic as being alive and not enjoying life.We as children of God are called to play a part in showing to the world the importance of being a part of that Heavenly family of the Most High God who has called us to be his own children (John 1:13)Hence this effort!
Let me show you the various dimensions of Mathew 6:33Life is full of many worldly cares. We think of food, clothing, shelter, a job, income, business, mortgage payments, education, tuition, money for church activities, disease, disability, and the like. Cares are not limited to adults. Teenagers have their cares too. We think of choosing a college, a career, a life-long marriage partner, finding a job, buying that first car, making the team. There is nothing wrong with this. Every living person naturally cares for him or herself and his or her life.Life is full of worldly concerns. That is true whether you are a Christian or a non-Christian.
But did u ever realize that u missed to note something – If God can form the human body how much more is He able to provide for its needs?In short, He Who made the greater can easily provide for the lesser…..He who gave life can easily sustain it as well!Isn't it wonderful to know that God knows u personally and is fully aware of our needs and cares. ("your heavenly Father knows that you need them" (vs 32b)So why should we worry, why be anxious, about lesser matters like food, clothing & shelter? Instead of worrying about these we are to put them into a kingdom perspective.'Praise God from whom all blessings flow!' To this moment the Lord has never failed to give us our daily bread." Lets praise God for it!
Jesus says,(Mt 6:33) But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.The plain fact is this -To strive for food and drink and clothing is to be concerned about the needs of 70 or 80 years. To strive for the kingdom is to be concerned about eternity.Our life, if you see keenly, is not of the present world; instead, we belong to the world to come. It is this future life we must strive for. We must be ready and make ready for its coming. Therefore, our first and greatest concern in life must be the Lord's affairs.OK, when Jesus tells us to "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness."
What does this mean?Our desire, if we seek first the kingdom,
- is to be ruled by Christ's Word and Spirit in such a way that more and more we submit to Him.
- is for the devil's work to be destroyed; we want every force opposed to God to be defeated; we work against sin and evil at every level of society.
- is to make God the only Master of our life. We know we "cannot serve both God and money" (Mt 6:24)- is to seek treasure in heaven rather than on earth (Mt 6:19-21).
- is righteous living – holy, pure, faithful, hating evil, loving good.- is to think about whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable.
- is for the church to be strong, and to grow in grace and numbers. This means we will want to build ourselves up by Bible study and prayer. This means we will involve ourselves in the church's mission to the lost.
- is for Christ to come again and to come quickly; we pray for that and work for that.
- is to be involved in church and kingdom work. If we seek first the kingdom we will prayerfully and financially support the church and kingdom.
To seek first the kingdom becomes a question of priorities. What comes first in your life: the kingdom or food, righteousness or clothing, the church or vacation time, treasure in heaven or treasure on earth, God or money?So far I've been focusing this on you as individuals.
The greater issue is:
What does God want you to do?
Where is your heart?
What are your eyes fixed on?
