“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33
Life is filled with oodles of decisions regarding what we will choose to put our efforts into accomplishing in our lifetime. We get to choose our dreams and goals. We get to choose what will bring fulfillment and what we consider success. We get to choose what values and ambitions we will pursue. For some individuals, the target will be a certain car or socioeconomic status. For others, the aim is to provide a comfortable living for the family. And for others still, the pursuit is making a difference in their community. One of the beautiful parts of God giving us a free will is our ability to choose what we will pursue with our lives. We all pursue something.
As Christians, the goals we set for our lives should be centered around first pursuing a life that pleases God. It is not possible to live for material gain and for God at the same time. Consider what Matthew 6:24 says: “No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Mammon is material wealth and prosperity: it can be money or physical possessions. This verse is plain, we cannot pursue a life that serves the Lord and pursue the gain of wealth at the same time. We must choose.
Thankfully, the Lord wants good for His children. Matthew goes on to describe God’s care and provision for His people in verses 28-30: “And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the over, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?” What a comforting realization! God loves us and will provide for us, as is evidenced by how He provides for all of creation. If He is willing to make such provision for His creations that do not have a soul, for which He did not give His life on the cross – how much more is He willing to provide for us, those He did willingly give His life to redeem? Much more!
Matthew takes his explanation another layer deeper in verses 31-33: “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
As we consider what ambitions to pursue in life. As we choose what priorities will receive our effort, time, and resources. We must remember that God wants to provide for us, He wants to bless our lives with good things. And He wants to be first place in our lives. He wants us to seek Him first, and trust that He will provide the rest. That’s exactly what verse 33 is saying: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these thigs shall be added unto you.” Our pursuit should be a life that serves and pleases God above all other pursuits. When we are facing a choice of pursuing material gain or putting God first, let’s put God’s Word to the test – let’s choose to put Him first and see what goodness He adds to our lives. Psalm 37:25 is an observation about this choice. King David said: “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”
Sometimes the choice doesn’t make sense: to put God first when we think we need a material possession more. Perhaps the choice is to set aside time to spend in worship – such as going to church instead of picking up an extra shift at work. Perhaps the choice is choosing a work environment that allows us to thrive as a Christian over one that is more convenient or perhaps offers more pay but grieves the Holy Spirit in our hearts. Perhaps the choice is to tithe, to obey the Bible instruction to give God the first 10% of our income when we know we will run out of money before all the bills are paid. Every day we will encounter opportunities to make a choice to put God first and trust His Word, or to choose not to trust that He will provide for us. Let’s make a point to take Him at His Word and see what He does.
