First and Foremost

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies 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, O 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.” (Matthew 6:28-33 NIV)

One definition of repentance is to change directions.  In this passage, Jesus is clearly commanding repentance.  

We often view worry and the frantic pursuit of the necessities of life—a good job, good benefits, good retirement benefits—as normative.  On the college campus, students are often worried about grades, frantic about their futures, and seeking to do what they can to build good résumés that put them in better positions for a good job.  In the working world, people with jobs worry about keeping them, worry about the ability of sending their kids to college, and whether they will have enough for retirement.  A lot of energy and focus are going to these things.  

Yet, Jesus says these things should not be our priority. Instead He says we should first seek His kingdom and His righteousness.  If we are not doing that, then we need to repent.  

Recently I talked with a student who was very active this year in some quality university organizations, ones that look very good on a résumé. But she said she is now wanting to lessen her involvement in those and begin to invest more in kingdom work, to invest in the lives of college women and to lead them into a deeper relationship with Jesus.  Seeking the kingdom now trumps a good-looking résumé.  In essence, she is repenting of her self-focused ways and embracing God’s plan for her, and for all of us.  

Seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness trumps everything else in our lives.  There is nothing more important and it cannot share the platform with anything else.  Lots of people think, and want us to think, that we can do both—seek the kingdom while also pursuing all the things the world considers of value.  But that little word “first” becomes problematic for that view.  Seeking first the kingdom means nothing else is before it.  It is the first and foremost priority of life.

Today, take an honest look at your life.  Is seeking the kingdom of God truly the first priority of your life?  Does investing in the things of God trump every other thing that you are pursuing?  If the answer is in the negative, then Jesus is calling you to repent.  This can definitely be a scary thing, but Jesus promises if we seek Him first, He will take care of everything else.  If that is true, you have no reason to worry.  

© Jim Musser 2015