What Comes First?

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matthew 6:33

The beginning of the year is a good time to make any needed changes in our lives. We need to take inventory, tune-up, tune in and make sure we’re heading in the right direction. It’s a good time to get aligned. If we want to be aligned with God we have to put first things, first. So what comes first? 

The Bible tells us what comes first: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)  Jesus commands us to seek first the kingdom of God. But what does that mean and how does it fit into the firsts of seeking God, worshipping, tithing and fasting we talked about on Sunday? 

The first time you read Matthew 6:33, you come away with this verse being a foundational verse: simply stated, it means giving Jesus first place in my life. So if you are creating a priority checklist, for the day, week, month or year, Jesus should be on top. But “seek first” is not about fixing priorities and putting Him on top of a to-do list. To make God part of the list, is to make Him just another part of life. But He is not just part of our life, He is our life. Everything centers on and revolves around Him. 

“…and all these things will be given to you as well.”  It’s in putting God first in everything and seeking His righteousness that all these other things in our lives will be given to you as well. How many times have we seen when people put God first, their lives are enriched. We will experience joy and peace when God comes first in everything. Seeking God, worshipping Him in church, tithing and fasting are a few of the disciplines we are to practice as we strive to become more like Jesus. 

The outcome of your life is determined by what you seek first.  Do you want to be Christlike? Seek Him first. Do you want your family to be Christ-centered? Seek Him first. Do you want to have the best work ethic and stand out in the office? Seek Him first. Jesus comes first in every aspect of our lives.

Discussion Questions:

1. How do we prioritize God first in our lives?
2. Practically speaking, what does it mean to first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness?
3. What are some ways to keep the work of Christ central to your thinking as you try to seek His kingdom first?
4. How do we know that are fulfilling Matthew 6:33 in our lives?