SEEK THIS FIRST

Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.”

In today’s fast-paced world, countless things pull at our attention. From the moment we wake up, our minds are flooded with emails to answer, bills to pay, relationships to navigate, news to process, goals to meet. Life becomes a relentless pursuit of trying to hold everything together.

In the middle of all this noise, Jesus offers us a radically freeing perspective:

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Then everything else? It will fall into place.

The Weight We Carry

Jesus’ words in Matthew 6 come from His most famous teaching—the Sermon on the Mount. In this passage, He addresses the anxieties we all carry:

What will I eat?

What will I wear?

How will I provide for my family?

What if tomorrow brings more than I can handle?

He doesn’t downplay these concerns, but He gently lifts our gaze higher. Instead of allowing worry to dominate our thoughts, Jesus invites us to pursue what truly matters—the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SEEK GOD’S KINGDOM?

To seek God’s kingdom is to long for His rule and reign to be realized – in our hearts, in our homes, and in the world around us. It’s to desire that His love, truth, and justice shape the way we live and interact with others.

The Kingdom began with Jesus’ life and ministry and continues today through the Church. Seeking it means aligning our priorities with God’s purposes:

Sharing the hope of Jesus with others

Living lives of integrity and compassion

Participating in what God is doing in the world through acts of justice, mercy, and grace

This isn’t just about doing church activities. It’s about a heart that’s fully yielded to God’s will, allowing His rule to shape every decision and direction in our lives.

WHAT ABOUT HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS?

To seek God’s righteousness means to live the way God intended. It’s not about being perfect or earning our salvation, but about growing in holiness—choosing God’s ways over the world’s ways. It’s about:

Living with honesty when it would be easier to lie

Choosing purity in a culture of compromise

Extending forgiveness when we’ve been wronged

Walking humbly and depending on God’s grace daily

When we prioritize God’s righteousness, we make decisions that reflect His character. Our lives become a reflection of His love and truth in a world that desperately needs both.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE SEEK GOD FIRST?

Jesus makes a profound promise:

“…and all these things will be added to you.”

When we pursue God first, we don’t have to scramble or stress about the rest. He knows our needs—physical, emotional, financial, spiritual. And He is faithful to provide.

This doesn’t mean life will always be easy or predictable. But it means we can trust the One who holds it all together. Our hearts can rest in the confidence that as we put Him first, He takes care of the rest.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF PRIORITY LIST

Take a moment and reflect:

What dominates your thoughts and time each day?

Are you consumed with things outside of your control?

Are your priorities shaped by culture or by the call of Christ?

Jesus is calling us to re-prioritize—to shift our focus from temporary concerns to eternal truths. When we align our hearts with His, we not only find peace, but we discover the true purpose for which we were created.

TRADE WORRY FOR WORSHIP

Worry is a weight we were never meant to carry. Instead of being ruled by anxiety over what we lack, let’s be ruled by the King who provides. Let’s trade striving for surrender. Let’s choose trust over turmoil.

Today, pause and pray:

“Lord, help me to seek Your kingdom first. Shape my heart to desire Your righteousness. Teach me to trust You with all my needs. I surrender my worry and fix my eyes on You.” Because when we seek Him first, everything else finds its proper place. Amen.