Seek First the Kingdom

Seek First the Kingdom

25 “Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? 27 Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. 30 If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith? 31 So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:25-34

Last fall, this passage in Matthew became my “life-verse” for the semester one could say. I began the semester having only one day in between working at camp and then heading back to college. I arrived at campus and immediately realized that my days were marked by a lot of anxiety and worry. In many ways, it felt like a spiritual attack from the enemy on my ability to be confident, at peace, and to trust in the Lord. As I was walking through that season, this passage came to mind (I actually found out later that the Bible I had when I was 8 years old already had this highlighted and marked heavily…turns out even my 8-year-old self knew this verse had so much power to it). It captivates me the way scripture can be so relevant to us today, in the midst of what we are going through, despite the fact that it was written so long ago. I mean man, how many times a day do we worry about something—what we are going to eat or wear, how we are going to get our to-do-list done, a conflict at work, maybe a financial issue—the list goes on and on. The thing is though, the Lord knows that we have all of this and more to worry about, yet He says do not worry.

I mean if you think about it, basic necessities such as food, water, or what we will wear are pretty valid things to be concerned about. However, Jesus says don’t even worry about these basic needs. I don’t know about you, but when I first read that I was like yeah sure… someone can tell me all they want to not worry, but in reality that is much easier said than done, especially when it comes to things that are really important to me. Jesus tells us though that the reason why we don’t need to worry is because your Heavenly Father knows that you need them. He knows the worries, desires and needs you have and He promises to provide for you. The question is, will we have enough faith and confidence in God to trust that He knows what we need?

This passage goes on to say but seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. This is the key of how to not live a life of worry or anxiety. Seek first the Kingdom of God. Yes, you have valid needs and desires, but the Lord is more concerned with you seeking eternal pleasures and a relationship with Him than earthly possessions. The Lord wants you to be more focused on His Kingdom, than anything else.

This is another simple command the Lord gives us, just like “first remain in me” we first “seek the kingdom” and once we do that, we will be provided for. This passage is a promise to provide for our earthly needs, but it’s touching on an even deeper promise. Once we seek the kingdom of God, that is where we find an abundance of rest, fulfillment, and love. When we find ourselves in a relationship with God, being who He created us to be, and walking according to his heavenly ways, that is what makes us complete. The Lord goes on to say in Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” These verses point to the fact that when we do seek out the Kingdom, we will find it. When we make an effort to seek him out by reading His word, by walking a life that models that of Jesus, by seeking out His people, we will find the Lord in those places. The kingdom of God is one where his children are united in Spirit, where they are bonded in peace and love, where we are fully dependent on the Lord. His Kingdom is one of restoration. When we are fixated on living a kingdom life, we will find so many of our worries will fade and we will walk in the Lord’s glory and light.

God is a good father. He delights to provide for you. Rest in the fact that you are a beloved child of God and He is a good dad.

Love, Linz

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