Priorities!

Priorities!

Matthew 6:33 KJV

[33] But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Jesus was teaching His disciples about the principles and practices of His kingdom. He had touched on different life issues, and had laid down the new ways of doing things. From the regime of the old covenant, a new way of working was now in force. Of course, the old covenant only had rules and regulations; it could not provide the help needed to align with the rules. In addition, it has to be noted that the messages in the Sermon that Jesus preached here are for disciples, not the crowd that is usually attracted to whatever is current or popular at the time. In this new covenant, the focus is on the help and guidance now made abundantly available in and through the presence of Christ in the life of the man who allows Him in. As it was in the days when Jesus preached this message, so is it now in our days when we need to respond to the demands of Christ laid out in the verse above.

There is always the issue of oppourtunity cost when it comes to following Jesus. You willl have to give up something in order to take hold of that which Jesus promises here. What do I need to give up? It is whatever takes the priority in my life apart from God. This may even be legitimate concerns, such as making a living or being present for family, but think about this: is there anything too big to give up for God if He asks for it? If I were given the option to choose between the eternal and the earthly, which one would I take? Clearly, the world system has its own priorities, and it will place a demand on all who are its subjects. The same principle applies to the spiritual and all who are subject to its authority too. There is no middle ground here; you do not get to play both sides here, and you also do not get to stay neutral or indifferent. You have to pick a side, and live with the consequences. 

The counsel in the verse above is to be taken as critical. God does not force Himself on anyone, and He will never go against the  exercise of my freewill. The kingdom of God has to be my first priority. This means that I recognise, respect and submit to the authority of that kingdom. I take time to study the demands of that kingdom, and I am careful to align with the demands. The righteousness of God is the demand; the righteousness of God is the standard. God will not compromise or lower His standard for anyone, no matter how special the person may be. When I align with God's standard, He promises to take care of my needs too. When I take care of God's business, He will also take care of my own business. There is no point pursuing my own agenda; God knows what I need and when I need it, so I am in good hands. Whatever the need, do God's own first, and watch God do wonders. God's time of favour is here.