Scripture Reading: Matthew 6
Setting priorities has not always been a strong area in my
life; in fact, quite the opposite. I’ve been a "Martha", who longed to be a "Mary" (Luke 10:38-42), and have been known to take on too many "good things", forsaking
the very best a time or two.
Matthew 6 is a portion of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in
which He lays out many great instructions for us to follow on giving, prayer,
fasting, etc. but it’s verse 33 that I want us to focus on just now,
“But seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
(Matthew 6:33)
Each day, we are faced with choices; opportunities to invest our time and energy into, and some, although good things, may only be temporal things that have no eternal value. Each of us has only so many hours in a day, and each of us, for the most part, have the opportunity to choose how we’ll spend those hours. The question then becomes, how many of those hours will we spend focusing on spiritual activities like reading God’s Word, prayer, teaching or serving others, etc.?
Are we focused on storing up treasures in heaven, or on worldly pleasures?
Just thinking about what you take hold of first thing in the morning could be a good indication.
We all have responsibilities regarding our family, work and other obligations and activities to tend to, and these can all be included in “seeking first the kingdom of God.” It all comes down to our free time. We need to be careful of what little time isn’t already spoken for, for I know often times I’ve taken on things that though they were good, they came at the expense of the spiritual tasks given to me. As a mom and teacher I found I was often asked to help out here and there, which ended up taking precious time away from my family, and even my own time with the Lord. And sometimes, I wouldn’t realize what I had done until damage had been done elsewhere.
Over time I’ve learned to seek Him and His ways of doing and being right, before committing to things that, though they were all good things, they just might not be meant for me to do. Seeking Him first for answers and reassurance has also helped with any guilt I may have felt declining a request for help as well. He has helped me stand firmer and know exactly what I should be doing and what I shouldn’t!
