First And Foremost | Northstar Church

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” – Matthew 6:33.

Suppose you had the opportunity to do life over. If you could ask the Lord Jesus Christ how to make the rest of your life the best of your life, what do you think He would say? I think a good starting point would be Matthew 6:33. Or in other words, put “first things first.” Now I know that sounds simple, but I want to tell you that I believe if you would consciously, continuously, constantly, and consistently put first things first, it would absolutely transform your life.

It boils down to priorities. If your priorities are not in order, your life will not be in order. If your priorities are not right, you won’t be right. You don’t have to pray about what your number one priority in life ought to be. You don’t have to think about it, evaluate it or even look for it. Because Jesus has already told us what our first priority ought to be, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else.”

The pivotal word is kingdom. In order to seek the Kingdom, you must first seek the King. Because you cannot have a kingdom without a king. Jesus does not want a place in your life. Jesus does not even want prominence in your life. Jesus wants preeminence in your life. Jesus wants the first moments of everyday. Jesus wants the first day of every week. Jesus wants the first part of every paycheck. He wants to be first. Jesus is not interested in being the first runner-up in your race. He is not interested in being vice-president in your corporation. He is not interested in being second trumpet in your orchestra. He wants to be the King on the throne of your heart, not a co-tenet in a duplex.

From the first time I heard a message on Matthew 6:33 I understood it as a summons to give Jesus first place in my life. I had in mind a “priority list” where He is first in the list, family is second, work is third, etc. But to make Him part of the list, is to make Him just another part of life. But He is not just part of life. He is life. Everything centers on and revolves around Him. He is not just a part of the list. He determines the list.

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.

Discussion Questions:

Do we allow tasks to define us and control us? In what ways can we start putting first things first?
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Matthew 6:33 ) What does it mean to “seek the Kingdom of God above all else?”
What can we do this week to start putting God first in our lives?