Christian Living
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
Matthew 6:33 NKJV
The word ‘Seek’ in Matthew 6:33 means to earnestly covet and to strive after something.
The word ‘strive’ is not one of my favourites, because it means to put in great effort towards obtaining or achieving something. However in Matthew 6:33, Jesus admonishes us as His followers to strive after God and righteousness, and indeed to prioritize this ‘striving’ above any other.
When you read Matthew chapter 6 in context, according to Jesus, putting a quest for God’s Kingdom/righteousness first, is the precursor to experiencing ALL the good things we so desire to have in life…every other thing layers up on that. Food, clothing, shelter, etc, all get sorted when our attention is primarily on God’s Kingdom/righteousness.
Can I share Matthew 6:30-34 with you from a very practical viewpoint?
“What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with GETTING, so you can respond to God’s GIVING. People who don’t know God and the way He works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how He works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”
Matthew 6:30-34 MSG
………Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow………
Wow! Just RELAX!!
Now did you know that the word ‘SHALL‘ expresses a strong assertion or intention?
So when Jesus says ‘all these things SHALL be added to you’ if you put God’s Kingdom/righteousness first, He says it with total assurance. Ofcourse we know that Jesus’ words are true, but I’d think that this particular promise comes with a ‘double assurance’…. ?
So are you interested in taking Jesus by His Word? Would you commit to putting the Kingdom of God/His righteousness first?
If you ask; ‘Grace, what does that even mean’? Well let’s refer back to Matthew 6:33 again…
“But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.”
Matthew 6:33 AMPC
……strive after God’s way and His way of doing things.…
God’s way of doing things is the way of His Word. His Word reveals His will- how He wants us to live, shows us the way to live right.
Can you commit to always putting God’s Word before you, …..to KNOW and to LIVE by it like Joshua 1:8 says?..
“This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.“
Joshua 1:8 AMPC
……..For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success……
I believe the words of Jesus and so I know that as you follow His directive in Matthew 6:33; following God’s leading by following His Word, you will strive less after food, clothing, shelter, etc. These things will come more easily to you because you will know by the Spirit of God how to deal wisely in order to have good success.
Halleluyah!
Apostle Paul says…
“So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.”
Colossians 3:1-2 MSG
……Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you….
…………….
God bless you for reading and have a blessed week…
