Here, Jesus is telling others to stop worrying about the things of this world, and concern themselves more with eternity. Rather than using all of one's energy to stockpile provisions for a comfortable life, Jesus says to put that energy toward a life with Him.
In this verse, He promises you will have everything you need if you seek the kingdom of God first. Notice He doesn't say you will have everything you WANT. But he does promise that all of our needs will be met if we live a God driven life. And the life in eternity will be magnificent.
This life we are living now is only temporary. The pains of this world are only temporary. The sucky job, the never-ending bills, the judgment from the world...all temporary. But the glory of God's kingdom is forever.
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This verse is reaching me today. Currently, I am facing a lot of big bills. My daughter is a senior in high school, and gearing up for college. There is no college fund, only because I spent most of her life as a single mom. The expense of college is falling on her shoulders, and I will help as I can. But there's only so much money.
Beyond that are a couple of present stresses that are weighing on my shoulders:
- my daughter's car is at its end and she needs a new one so she can get to work.
- my daughter has reached that tender age of testing independence. She wants to be considered an adult with no boundaries, but still have her life funded by me and her stepdad. The power struggle is real.
- I'm having dental surgery in a few weeks, and they want to do some work I can't afford - like pulling a tooth and giving me a $5,000 implant.
- I'm working at a job I hate that is eating me alive, but the pay is better than I can get elsewhere. Every day I fight the urge to quit.
- I want to write books for a living, but I can't wrap my mind around how to sell the ones I've written. I've spent thousands of dollars and raked in low hundreds. I'm starting to wonder if this is just a far-fetched dream that's keeping me from being happy about anything else.
Reading this verse this morning gave me a little nudge on the truth about this life. It's only temporary. And God will provide what I NEED. My concern should only be on my forever life.
If I don't make it as an author in this life, so be it. I still get to pour my soul into my writing.
If I don't have enough money to be rich and relax, so be it. I'm blessed that I've learned how to manage what I have so that my bills are paid and our needs are met.
My job might not be my ideal career, but I have opportunities there to do God's work. And I'd be happier if I focused on working for God rather than working for "the man."
My daughter might be difficult right now, but she's only preparing for that time when she's truly independent. My job is to help her prepare for that by standing firm with necessary boundaries, and to parent her with the future in mind. My job is to stay level-headed in my parenting, and not parent out of emotion or ego.
And it's just teeth. 😁
Seek the kingdom of God above money, job, pride, ego, relaxation, a comfortable retirement, the desire to be right, and the desire to be accepted. Seek the kingdom of God above being amazingly fit, recognized, apologized to, admired, and rewarded. Seek the kingdom of God above your dreams, your worldly desires, and your comfort level.
Seek the kingdom of God above all else and He will take care of you. He will protect you. He will ensure you will never be without. He will provide a way. Follow God, focus your energy on Him, and you will find happiness. Do for others instead of concerning yourself with only your needs, and God will provide so that you never need for anything.
If I live as a resident of Heaven, God will ensure my every need is met.
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