In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned against one dividing his allegiance to God. He said that an attempt to do this could not possibly be done with the Lord’s approval.
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth” (Matthew 6:24).
Jesus specifically mentioned wealth here as an object that would distract one from wholeheartedly serving God. But this principle is not limited to wealth. His point was that we must not allow anything to distract or hinder us from our service to God.
Following this, Jesus discussed the basic concerns of life – “what you will eat or what you will drink… what you will put on…” (Matthew 6:25). Food and clothing are legitimate concerns. One cannot go long without them before dying of starvation or exposure. Yet Jesus said, “Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25). Yes, our physical well-being is important; but our spiritual well-being is far more so. Therefore, our focus must be on the spiritual.
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
Those things that pertain to righteousness and God’s kingdom ought to be of primary importance to us. Our “purpose” must be to “live the rest of the time in the flesh…for the will of God” (1 Peter 4:1-2). “Therefore we also have as our ambition…to be pleasing to Him” (2 Corinthians 5:9). We must “set [our minds] on the things above” (Colossians 3:2), and “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).
Spiritual things must always take precedence over physical things. This does not mean that we forsake our earthly responsibilities (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12; 1 Timothy 5:8) or resort to “severe treatment of the body” (Colossians 2:23). But it does mean that we do not allow the things of this life to distract us from our service to God. If we are not careful, the “worries and riches and pleasures of this life” can choke out the word (Luke 8:14). Or, as Jesus explained in the parable of the dinner feast, even legitimate activities and interests (overseeing an investment, working on one’s farm, fulfilling marital responsibilities) could potentially hinder us from taking our proper place in the Lord’s kingdom (Luke 14:16-24). These activities, interests, and responsibilities are good and necessary; but our spiritual activities, interests, and responsibilities are far more important.
Different things will distract different people. We should each examine ourselves to see if there is anything in our lives that is hindering us from wholehearted service to God. When we identify a hindrance, we either need to cut it out of our lives (if it is something unnecessary like entertainment or certain physical possessions) or put it back in its proper place (if it is something necessary such as work or family). We must be willing to do this so that we can “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).
Yes, Christians must seek the kindgom of God first and that means FIRST. Ahead of any other worthy pursuit. Even ahead of our earthly ties. This seems to be a very difficult decision for many Christians to make.
Reminders like this are very encouraging and necessary in our day as they always have been.
I appreciate you good thinking.
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Regards
G.L