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In Matthew 6:33, Jesus shares one of His most crucial commands for us: "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Unfortunately, this is also one of the commands we neglect the most. This occurs because it requires our self-centered desires, concerns, and lifestyles to be radically transformed to place God first. Although our soul and flesh vehemently oppose this change, its necessity becomes clear when contrasting the effects of prioritizing our soulish and spiritual lives.
Although our soul deems it normal and necessary to emphasize our desires and physical needs before our relationship with God, this decision has many consequences, both spiritual and natural. For example, it severely hinders our ability to serve God. As Matthew 6:24 warns that we cannot serve two masters, prioritizing our natural life over God prevents us from wholeheartedly obeying Him. Another consequence of this soulish decision is significantly stunted spiritual growth. Romans 12:1-2 note that because our worldly desires and behaviors prevent us from learning and conforming to God's will, spiritual growth only comes from offering our lives as living sacrifices before Him. One other consequence of serving ourselves over Him is that it severely taxes our minds with needless anxiety. Matthew 6:25 notes that when our focus is not on serving God first, we become overly concerned with the details of this life rather than trusting in His perfect providence for them. Although it seems natural to prioritize our needs and desires over God, doing so only damages our spiritual, mental, and physical health as we desperately strive to fulfill them outside of God's perfect will and provision.
Fortunately, seeking God first not only avoids these consequences, but also provides many benefits. For example, it allows us to abide, grow, and be fruitful in Christ. John 15:5 states this, reminding us that seeking Him first is the sole way to living a spiritually productive life. Also, placing God first allows us to completely trust and rest in His perfect providence for us. Jeremiah 17:7-8 illustrate this with a tree planted by water, being provided everything it needs apart from worrying and striving; such will our lives resemble when we seek God first. Finally, when we do so, He ensures our life is directed towards His best for us. Proverbs 16:3 confirms this, stating that He will reveal His will for us as we place Him first in our service to Him. Thus, by seeking God first in everything, He will add to us all we need and desire according to His will, all without the striving and stress of prioritizing ourselves.
Every day, hour, and moment, Jesus lays before us two ways we can live our lives. On one hand, we can choose to prioritize our needs and desires over God, which, despite seeming natural and necessary, only serves to hinder our service to Him, stunt our spiritual growth, and add needless stress and striving to our lives. Conversely, by placing Him first, we not only avoid these detrimental consequences, but also make ourselves available to receive His best, produce spiritual fruit, and abide in Christ's perfect rest.
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