Matthew 6:28-33 (NIV)
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
We make choices all of the time. Sometimes the answers to the choices are really obvious. This became apparent to me this week at work as business has been really slow. It is during the slow times, that it becomes easier for me to prioritize my work load.
Let me give you an example. One of the days this week at work while I was cutting up strawberries in the kitchen, my boss came upstairs and asked me to check out an R&R customer and collect his money. I asked him, “Is that more important than cutting strawberries?” He answered emphatically, “Yes!”
Another time, I was in the kitchen as well. My boss told me after lunch that we had a pallet of units ready to ship to a customer and he wanted me to put in the paperwork and schedule a freight pickup. I asked him, “Is that more important than washing dishes?” And again he confidently answered, “Yes!”
There are many choices that we make daily that are also obvious as to what we should and shouldn’t do. In the same way as I do at work, we too must also base our decisions on what is important to us. Jesus told the disciples in his famous “Sermon on the Mount” what their number one priority is. “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” (vs 33).
There are many choices that we must make though that are not so obvious and that’s where true “seeking” really comes in. In order to be able to seek God’s perfect kingdom above man’s and above the things of the world around us, we must read about his kingdom in the Bible. Kingdom denotes a government system in which Jehovah is sovereign. It is invisible now, but it should be placed above everything else that we seek. Jesus spoke of this higher power while he was arrested by an earthly kingdom:
John 18:36-37 (NIV)
Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
“You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
We must seek God’s righteousness. This righteousness speaks of the perfect justice of Jehovah. Therefore, it is not something that we can attain while being in our sinful state. However, we must continue to seek it and strive after it.
God, please show us in the easy and hard decisions what our priorities should be so that we can make the right choices. Please help us to seek your kingdom and righteousness FIRST above everything else even when those decisions go against what man and this worldly system deems as correct. Show us in your Word what the true righteousness is. Thank you for the many examples of men of faith that help us live the life that you would want. Help us to be faithful soldiers for you that long for and seek righteousness.
-RB
Hebrews 11:24-27 (ESV)
By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.
DPOD 