DESIRE FIRST.
There’s a scripture that’s widely known, but commonly misused. “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all else shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). During young adulthood, my faith was very purpose-centered. I was very focused on all of the amazing things that God was going to do for me and through me. Purpose and calling are important. We want to avail ourselves to the Lord’s design for us and we want to have exponential expectations for His power to manifest in our lives! However, lol. My focus on purpose and calling was a slippery one. I heard a lot of theology around purpose that (in hindsight) was harmful; it made “purpose” and career synonymous. It made our purpose about our talents and gifting. This theology equated fruit with influence, material growth and success.
The premise was: “Do this thing FIRST so that you can access ‘all the other things’.”
Matthew 6:33 was typically used to reinforce this odd theology. The premise was: “Do this thing FIRST so that you can access ‘all the other things’.” The kingdom becomes a means to an end. Our eyes are fixed on the end, the result, the “reward”. But I think we’d understand this scripture in a more profound way if we read it like this: “DESIRE FIRST the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all things will be added to you.” In the Greek, the word “seek” infers DESIRE. If you DESIRE first the Kingdom and God’s righteousness, everything else- what we will eat, drink, wear, etc- everything else is an added blessing…not a distinct distraction.
When we are DESIRING God’s kingdom first, we develop a heart that hates trying to manipulate Him for a blessing. Instead, we realize that God IS THE BLESSING. Nothing is wrong with caring about your needs and the needs of your family. That is human. That is common. However, our faith in God should curb the desire to obsess over what we do not have. In fact, the scripture before says, “These things dominate the thoughts of UNBELIEVERS, but your Heavenly Father already knows all your needs” (Matthew 6:32). When you seek God’s kingdom FIRST, God reorients your mind and heart. He calms you. He satisfies you. What is the point of circumventing REAL TIME with God, just to have your rent paid… if you’ll only have debilitating anxiety next month for the same reason? What is the point of manipulating scripture to try to get the hottest handbag… and you feel empty and unworthy later? Jesus is the LIVING WATER. When we have a full revelation of who he is and how he loves us, nothing can compare to the peace, wisdom, and care we know.
My prayer for you is that you carve out some time this week to spend time with God. Ask that He would give you perspective and wisdom. Bring your fears, your insecurities, your feelings of insufficiency. Be honest about the unpaid bills, the disappointments, the temptations. Lay it all at His feet.
