First Things First

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  Matthew 6:33

As the early church was expanding rapidly, I can imagine the disciples having to make lots of choices. Do we put this person into leadership at this time? Do we start a new work in this town? Is it time to act or time to wait? Lord, what do we do now?

All of these questions and thousands more were flying through the minds of Jesus’ first followers. They had an enormous task:  make disciples of every nation, tribe and language. I am sure the Holy Spirit helped remind them of the Scripture above.  They needed help to prioritize all the competing goals and priorities. The Holy Spirit loves to help us, and sometimes we need to know what comes first.

According to these words from Jesus, the Kingdom comes first. God’s kingdom comes before every other thing in our lives. So what is the kingdom? It is the realm where God rules and reigns. It is the place where He is King and the rest of us are His beloved subjects. When we seek the Kingdom, what we are really doing is Seeking God. We are saying, “Father, we want you to rule and reign in this situation. We want you to be glorified in this. Lord, not our will, but Yours be done.”

The reason God says to seek His kingdom first is because everything else in our lives falls into its proper place when He and His kingdom are FIRST. When we pray a prayer like the one above, all the lesser things come into focus and their place on our priority list become clear. He knows we need provision, comfort, healing and guidance. He wants to bless us with all these important things. But they never come first. They come AFTER we FIRST seek Him and His kingdom.

Something happens in my heart when I slow down and pray, “Father, rule and reign in me. Come and have your way in my heart. Be first in my life and in this decision before me.” I find that a deep rest settles upon me. Suddenly things come into focus. It’s not about me. It’s never been about me.

I remember that God loves me. I know that He wants to bless me, guide me and care for me generously. Peace starts to take over my thought life, and I am in a position to make better decisions. My priorities have been reordered to their proper place. God is on the throne. He knows what I need, and what I should do. All I need to do next is LISTEN AND OBEY.

If life is crashing in on you today, pray this prayer. “Lord, have your way in my life today. Come rule and reign in me. I want your kingdom first. I desire your glory, not my comfort. I love you, Father.”

Then wait in worshipful silence. Listen for His voice. He wants to speak to you. He loves to guide His children into blessing and peace. He knows what is needed and where your provision will come from. Trust Him today. He will never fail you.