Why “Seek First the Kingdom"?

 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” – Matthew 6:33

If you are unfamiliar with the passage attached to the above verse, let me give some context.Matthew 6 immediately follows Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount as well as the Lord’s Prayer. In verses 25-34, Christ discusses worry, and tells us not to worry about the things of this life.

I am a natural born worrier. I come from a LONG line of worriers, parents, grandparents, even great-grandparents! I just seem to naturally be concerned about people, their whereabouts, and what is going on the world. Sometimes, this manifests well: I care deeply about relationships, politics, and the like. But often, that worry becomes sin; I focus too much how things are not working out the way I’d planned, or how I’m late to an event. I get lost in the details of life and can no longer see clearly the big picture.

I’ve heard this passage many times I’m sure, but like many other passages, I’d never really HEARD this passage until January of this year. I’d never let it permeate my heart and my head, or let the weight of it soak into me like a sponge. However, after being asked to go to Asia this summer, I was searching for an answer to whether I should go. I found my answer is the form of Matthew 6.

As the Westminster Catechism states, the chief end of man is to, “glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” To me, the question is: “How do we glorify God?” I’ve been working this past semester to try to answer that question for myself, and see what God is asking of me. So many passages stick out to me, but Matthew 6:33 seems to ring louder than the others. For me, however, this passage only makes sense in the context of Matthew 28, or the Great Commission. I, as a believer, have inherited a call to go to the nations, to bring the Gospel to the farthest reaches of the planet and right at home.

So, for this summer, I am going. I am going to a part of the world that desperately needs the Gospel. I am trying to heed the words of Matthew 6 and 28, and do the will of God. I am striving to enjoy God in this journey, and I am trying to learn and grow from all the curveballs thrown at me. This year is a Matthew 6:33 kind of year.