ABOVE ALL ELSE
"Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need."
Matthew 6:33 (NLT)
The most important thing about you is not your marital status. In the same vein, the most important thing about you is not whether you have children or not. There's nothing wrong with wanting those things. But they're not the end-all-be-all of your life.
Your life is meant to bring glory to God. We're to be about His Kingdom, not our own. When we focus on climbing the corporate ladder, the size of our bank account, or even our family status, we miss out on what's truly best. We're invited into the beauty of the Kingdom. We're to advance it day by day. But what does that look like? How does one seek the Kingdom?
Simply put, it means bringing Him into every area of our lives. Our relationships. Our finances. Our decisions. Everything is done to bring Him glory. We talk so much about getting to God one day when we move into the afterlife. But in truth, we're to bring Him into our lives here and now. Earlier in Matthew 6, Jesus teaches people how to pray. "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done." Ask yourself this—are you doing the will of the Father? Again, you may wonder—how can I know His will? Study His Word. In your time of praying, ask Him to reveal Himself to you. Seek the wisdom of a Christ-centered community. Fix your eyes on Him.
As we do this, He will give us all we need. Maybe not all you want. And maybe not exactly when you want it. But in the nearly twenty years I've been following Jesus, I've seen His provision time and again. His fingerprints of grace are all over my life. I've not followed Him perfectly, but as I've endeavored to make Him my first priority, He has certainly always been there for me.
APPLICATION: Ask yourself the hard question—am I seeking the Kingdom above all else? If yes—wonderful! Keep going! If your answer is no—what is getting in the way? What changes might you need to make? What would prevent you from making those changes? Ask the Holy Spirit to grant you clarity and conviction.
PRAYER: Lord—help me not to simply call You Lord without it actually being true—rule and reign in every area of my life. Be glorified and magnified in every part of who I am and what I do. Thank You for meeting my every need. In Jesus' name, amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?