Seek This First
Therefore do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:31-33)
In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus finished a section dealing with the theme of how we should regard material things. He summarized with a simple statement: Therefore do not worry. With this, Jesus invited His disciples to know a freedom from the worry and anxiety that comes from undue concern about material things.
The great old Bible commentator Matthew Henry knew this kind of freedom. After being robbed of all his money, he thought of four things to thank God for:
Lord, I thank You:
That I have never been robbed before.
That although they took my money, they spared my life.
That although they took everything, it wasn’t very much.
That it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.
For those who know God, this should be their priority: seek first the kingdom of God. This must be the rule of our life when ordering our priorities. Yet it is wrong to think that this is merely another priority that we should fit onto our list of priorities, making sure to put it at the top. Instead, as disciples of Jesus, in everything we do, we seek first the kingdom of God.
Believers should take care of their physical well-being, but without devoting the focus of their life to what they eat, drink, and wear. The people of God live in the real world, where we must eat, drink, and wear clothes. But they also live as citizens of heaven, giving attention to greater and higher things. Living focused only on the physical is to exist at the same level as animals live. God has something higher, better for His people.
Jesus didn’t only tell us to stop worrying; He told us to replace worry with a focus on the kingdom of God. A habit or a passion can only be given up for a greater habit or passion.
For those who do this, there is a precious promise: and all these things shall be added to you. If you put God’s kingdom first, and do not think that your physical well-being is a worthy thing to live your life for, you then may enjoy all these things. He promises heavenly treasure, rest in divine provision, and fulfillment of God’s highest purpose for man – fellowship with Him, being part of His kingdom.
Yet we need to come back to the choice: the choice to seek first the kingdom of God. This is the fundamental choice everyone makes when they first believe, repent, and are converted. Yet every day after that, our Christian life will either reinforce that decision or deny it. Which will you do today?
Well said! Love your devotionals, David