Priorities and Balance#2 - First
| So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew6:31-33) |
Few things rob us of balance more quickly than worry, and few things restore it more effectively than putting God first.
The balance lies in not being dominated by stress and worry. We do need to eat and drink but we should not be become obsessed about what we eat and wear. Earlier in this chapter Jesus spoke about the birds of the air and the flowers of the field and how God provides for them. The birds forage diligently and plants sink their roots deep and turn sunlight into food but there is joy and beauty in what they do. Obsession turns labour and housework into slavery. Balancing gratitude, trust and diligence is the key to a balanced life. We have gratitude for God's provision both through opportunity and ability, we trust God to watch over us and give us strength and then we bring our best efforts to the table.
But Jesus also calls us to have the right priorities and we have to get the top one right. First and foremost, our most important priority should be to ensure that we are seeking God's Kingdom and righteousness.
The Greek verb Jesus uses for "seek" is "zēteite" and it is significant because Jesus uses it in a positive and a negative sense in this passage. The pagans run after all the wrong things, but Jesus calls His followers to seek the Kingdom of God first. The verb means to seek, pursue, strive after, aim for and desire. Jesus uses it in a present, continuous and imperative tense - "keep on seeking". We are being commanded to have a deep desire and longing for God's kingdom and righteousness. What makes it striking is that Jesus isn't asking us to perform an action - He's asking us to cultivate a passion. If it were an action then we could tick the box and move on, but we're being asked to have a continuous longing that permeates all we do.
And it needs to be FIRST. Above all else. Above ambition. Above earthly affections. Above all.
And what do we long for? God's kingdom and righteousness. Longing for His kingdom means continually asking: "If God were King of this situation, how would it go down? How would He want me to behave? What outcomes would God want us to pursue? What are the priorities and principles that would apply here?" Pursuing God's righteousness adds moral depth to the idea of "kingdom." Sometimes people will cut corners because they argue that the end justifies the means, but in pursuing the kingdom we must also do things the right way.
Our balance comes from doing our part without becoming obsessed with the results. Our priority is to nurture a deep and growing passion to see God crowned as King in every part of our lives.
When the Kingdom comes first, everything else finds its proper place.
