First The Kingdom

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 

Matthew 6:33 

Christ emphasizes what matters most in life. His Sermon on the Mount is full of statements which run strongly counter to normal human thought. Having begun the section from which our text derives with, ‘Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal,’ He proceeds to tell His audience they cannot serve both God and money; they should not be anxious about their food and clothing, and they should trust God for the provision of all these things. He follows this counsel with the words before us, ‘but seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.’  How is it we shall ‘seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness?’  Should we despise normal provision for the necessities of life? That is not His point. As He indicated in the beginning of the section, it is very much a matter of our attention and affection. It is what matters most to us that is at issue. To seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness first is to address the matters of the spiritual and eternal as being most important. This will bring us to Christ first. He is the only Way for us to have the righteousness of God. He is the King of the Kingdom of God. When we begin there, the other more mundane matters assume their place of lesser priority.  

High King of heaven, 
we rejoice that You rule overall. 
We praise You that You have given to us the privilege 
of seeking Your kingdom first.  

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning