Seeking first

Matthew 6:33 is one of those major road markers. It gives the direction we are to take whenever we encounter a crossroads. Following the directions at Matthew 6:33 will always lead us where we want to go. Not just our spirit, but our flesh as well. Our flesh is concerned about the food and clothing and housing. Matthew 6:33 is a promise to add all these to us if we make the right choice. By following the directions at this signpost we will always be heading in the direction that will lead to our ultimate happiness.

What I am just now starting to realize, at the age of 44, is that we encounter this crossroad multiple times. We are faced with this choice repeatedly throughout our month, week and day. And it's not the decisions that we make at huge multilane intersections that make the biggest difference. It's the small, moment by moment choices that make the biggest difference. On Monday morning, we are given the chance to seek first His kingdom by going to our jobs and performing with excellence. On pay day, we are given the chance to seek first His kingdom by being a tither. But those are the big intersections. Those choices are important but they don't have the same impact as all those little decisions we make throughout the day. During the day, we are faced with many small opportunities to seek first the Kingdom of God and it's the small decisions that make the impact.

It's the decision we make at 11 PM when no one is around to ask what websites we are visiting that's important. It's the decision we make at work when our coworkers want to gossip that has greater influence. Satan knows better than to come at us directly. He slithers into the small cracks of life and encourages us to make small private decisions that direct us away from the kingdom. These small decisions by virtue of their volume, have the greatest impact on what direction our life takes.

Refusing to worry is one of the most important ways we can seek first the Kingdom of God. A great moment of freedom came for me when I realized that there will never come a day when I won't have something to worry about. Even if all the bills get paid, the enemy can still attack my health. Even if I manage to believe in my healing, the enemy can still attack my marriage. There will always be something the enemy can attack that will give me a reason to worry. It is crucial at these crossroads that we choose to seek first the kingdom of God by refusing to worry.

I didn't say "ignore the problem and it will go away." That's how the enemy would have you interpret that. Refusing to worry is not pasting a fake smile on your face and just pretending not to be worried. Refusing to worry is acknowledging the problem and then obeying God's instruction to cast them onto Him. This is a good time to get our mouths involved and say out loud:"I know my God will provide for this need. I am casting that concern onto Him and going about His business. He will see to that need. I will not delay in my duties to the Kingdom by tending to that need first."

This is not easy. This is not what your flesh wants to do. But its good that your flesh is troubled by this. Your flesh resisting so much is what makes it a worthy trial of the faith. If the flesh didn't have a problem with it, it wouldn't be a trial. If it's not a trial, then there's no chance for victory. If it's not a trial, then it doesn't matter what you seek first. There has to be a choosing of sides. There has to be a point where you rest your entire weight on your faith in God's promises and faithfulness or it doesn't matter. Anything less than that is trifling. And it is in the choosing of what we seek first that God is either honored or doubted. If He is honored, then He has the right to move into our situation and act in our favor. If He is doubted, then He must sit and watch us endure the consequences of our choices. Which means, there will be no blessing or promoting or granting of favor. It is crucial that we seek first His kingdom in every decision because seeking Him first is what grants Him the legal right to act on our behalf.

This is the principle of the boiled frog. You don't boil a frog by throwing him into a pot of boiling water. You set him comfortably in a pot of cool water and then slowly but consistently raise the temperature. Soon enough, you'll have a boiled frog. It's in life's little decisions that the temperature is raised. A bill here, a parking ticket there, a broken tooth, and etc. It is what we do when we encounter these small crossroads that matters the most. If at each of these little crossroads we chose to seek our own ends to the problems, before long we will find ourselves completely out of range of God's voice. If on the other hand, we face each of these small decisions with a commitment to continue to seek God and His righteousness, it's not long before these pesky little imps are dismissed. Because of our obedience, God has the freedom to put us on the heart of someone with great resources. And just like that, our problems are handled by God and we are further along in our pursuit of God.

This is the power of seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. With each little decision to seek first His Kingdom, we testify of our faith in Him and give Him the right to act on our behalf. With each of these little victories come greater resolve and stronger faith. There will never come a day when the problems will ease up and we can choose to seek God without putting a little stress on our faith muscle. But be encouraged. God is good. He keeps His promises. Each time we make the right choice, He moves into our situation with His abundant love. Each time we seek first the Kingdom of God, He adds to us all that we need.