Priorities!

Priorities!

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33 KJV

Right before the crowds that followed him everywhere, today's extract is addressed to Jesus' disciples: men who had made a choice to follow after Jesus. Following Jesus requires that I sit down and at least have an idea of what I am called out of and into. This call is not something to be taken lightly, as it may demand something of value from me. Following Jesus will require me to define my new priorities. He wants to do a work in me, but I have to let him. I have to cooperate with him, so that I can enjoy the fullness of all that is possible in and through him. The first and most important question then is: have I surrendered to Jesus and made him my Lord and Saviour? Is He Lord of all or in charge of some of my precious possessions? 

As today's extract is spoken to disciples, what is expected of me? My pursuits must line up with God's desires. He created the current contents of the heavens and the earth before he made man and placed him in the Garden with all that man would need. Man had work to do, but first he had God in him for fellowship, communion and direction. He must do all he can to nurture both, but he must not neglect the correct order of priorities. If I take good care of God's creation, but neglect fellowship with the creator of all I see, what is the gain in that? If I also claim I am pursuing after God with all I am, and yet I am not relevant or making an impact on the earth he has placed me on, of what use is that also? 

It is therefore clear that I have to set my priorities right. Both are required for life, but one practically feeds the other. Jesus lays out the right order in today's extract: the kingdom of God and his righteousness. That must be my first consideration. It is the inner light that drives the outer pursuit. When God sits at the top of my daily plans, it is easy for him to direct all other parts of my life. Seeking after God's kingdom means pursuing and promoting the things that make God's heart glad. It means finding and keeping close to your heart the things that God also holds dear to his heart. You won't know those things by accident or inference, but by a daily relationship with him. 

The things of this world are also necessary. You need to eat, drink, wear clothes and also have a place to lay your head. These are legitimate needs, but in the light of the verse under review, if I worry more than usual, does that guarantee that I will have more of these earthly provisions? The men of the world set store by these things, seeking to define success by how much of these things a man has, but unfortunately, God's view is that a man's life does not consist of the abundance of the things that he possesses. None of the earth's provisions will go with me into eternity, so I need to have the right heart in dealing with the things of the earth. 

When I have secured the eternal, the earthly knows its place. When the eternal has been settled, God knows that nothing of the earth can distract me from him. He knows that whatever he gives me will not take my heart away from him. Can I say with confidence that this is true of me? Can God entrust the riches of the earth into my hands, sure and certain that they cannot draw my heart away from him? Take stock now; what are the things you take as important right now? If they were taken away from you, would you still be fine? If the world's goods were taken away, would you still be a seeker of God? If God were taken away from you, would you seek him as you search for lost treasure? Whatever your answer is reveals your priorities. May I not get to the end of my earthly life and discover that I had chased after the ephemeral and the eternally irrelevant. God's time of favour is here.