"Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek: ) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
Matt 6: 31-33
Well known verse, isn't it? Sounds like a great deal. Food, drink, clothing; all our material needs answered, if we will just seek first the kingdom of God. Yet why is it that people still struggle so much in laying aside their worries about material needs, and seeking God first? I think this is because there is still a great deal of misunderstanding about this verse.
Ask yourself this question- when you read this verse, what is it that you think of first? Is it seeking God, or is it your material needs? If it is the latter, then I believe we have not understood what Jesus meant. You see, many people read this verse with their material needs foremost on their minds. They think, "Wow, if only I seek God first, then all my material needs will be answered!" But the point is, they are still thinking about their material needs, not God. And so they try to seek God first, but ultimately they fail, because their real motive is really not to seek Him, and at the same time they are still pursuing material things. And they grow disillusioned and weary, and lose faith.
I believe when Jesus said this, He was speaking to people who were already seeking God first, or greatly desired to, but found themselves worrying about material needs. He was saying, "If you're worried about not having a place to sleep, or food to eat, while seeking Me, don't worry, for The Father will provide everything." He did not mean, "Come, seek me first, and you will have everything you need"! The key point here is what we are attributing importance to- God's kingdom, or our material needs. When Jesus said this He meant that seeking God and His kingdom is the most important thing, far more important than the material world, to be pursued at all costs, at the expense of everything we have. Seeking God is not a means to an end, to obtain all the material things we want; it is the very end itself to which we must live. It is the means to no other thing than to glorify Him in heaven.
People who are older may say, "You haven't seen the real, adult world yet! You're still young; you don't understand what it is to struggle to make a living, you don't understand how hard it is to earn money to survive." Yes indeed, I am still young, and very optimistic and idealistic; I may not understand all that, but I understand what Jesus meant when He said those words, and if you believe in Christ too, you would share my faith that He meant exactly what He said, and His promises are true. And there are many other adults who will testify to that. Seek Him, and Him alone, first, for no other reason that to glorify Him, and He will provide all else.
So now we must ask ourselves, is seeking God really all-important to us? Is it more important to us than every single thing in our lives? If not, then I think we have not understood those precious words that Jesus said on the Mount two thousand years ago.
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek: ) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
Matt 6: 31-33
Well known verse, isn't it? Sounds like a great deal. Food, drink, clothing; all our material needs answered, if we will just seek first the kingdom of God. Yet why is it that people still struggle so much in laying aside their worries about material needs, and seeking God first? I think this is because there is still a great deal of misunderstanding about this verse.
Ask yourself this question- when you read this verse, what is it that you think of first? Is it seeking God, or is it your material needs? If it is the latter, then I believe we have not understood what Jesus meant. You see, many people read this verse with their material needs foremost on their minds. They think, "Wow, if only I seek God first, then all my material needs will be answered!" But the point is, they are still thinking about their material needs, not God. And so they try to seek God first, but ultimately they fail, because their real motive is really not to seek Him, and at the same time they are still pursuing material things. And they grow disillusioned and weary, and lose faith.
I believe when Jesus said this, He was speaking to people who were already seeking God first, or greatly desired to, but found themselves worrying about material needs. He was saying, "If you're worried about not having a place to sleep, or food to eat, while seeking Me, don't worry, for The Father will provide everything." He did not mean, "Come, seek me first, and you will have everything you need"! The key point here is what we are attributing importance to- God's kingdom, or our material needs. When Jesus said this He meant that seeking God and His kingdom is the most important thing, far more important than the material world, to be pursued at all costs, at the expense of everything we have. Seeking God is not a means to an end, to obtain all the material things we want; it is the very end itself to which we must live. It is the means to no other thing than to glorify Him in heaven.
People who are older may say, "You haven't seen the real, adult world yet! You're still young; you don't understand what it is to struggle to make a living, you don't understand how hard it is to earn money to survive." Yes indeed, I am still young, and very optimistic and idealistic; I may not understand all that, but I understand what Jesus meant when He said those words, and if you believe in Christ too, you would share my faith that He meant exactly what He said, and His promises are true. And there are many other adults who will testify to that. Seek Him, and Him alone, first, for no other reason that to glorify Him, and He will provide all else.
So now we must ask ourselves, is seeking God really all-important to us? Is it more important to us than every single thing in our lives? If not, then I think we have not understood those precious words that Jesus said on the Mount two thousand years ago.
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