Seek F.I.R.S.T. // Matthew 6:33
Today’s verse is so important for the Jesus follower. Jesus said we are to seek God’s Kingdom first, and then the other things we tend to worry ourselves over — like food, clothing, and shelter — have a way to work out for us. This is because God is a generous provider and empowers His children to help meet the needs of others. I want to think about what it could mean to seek God first, so I came up with an acrostic that might help. Here we go…seek F.I.R.S.T….
F: seek God in FAITH > The Bible teaches that acknowledging God is real is the first step of faith. Knowing that God is real and blesses those who seek Him sets us on the right path (see Hebrews 11:6).
I: seek INTEGRITY > We need integrity in living, which mans doing the right thing when we think no one is watching. The reality is God is always watching. Living with integrity helps hold us up in God’s righteousness (see Psalm 25:21).
R: seek RELATIONSHIP > God created us for the purpose of relationship; both us with Him and others. God is relationship in the form of the Trinity, which is the model for how we are to live. God wants us to weave our lives together in relationship (see Ecclesiastes 4:12).
S: seek SANTIFICATION > Sanctification is the fancy word that defines the process of becoming more like Jesus. This is what the Holy Spirit does in our lives to comfort us, encourage us, correct us, and connect us. This is a beautiful promise that proves God is with us in the good days and bad days (see 2 Thessalonians 2:13).
Truth: seek TRUTH > Truth is critically important because of the work of God’s enemy, Satan, the deceiver. The devil aims to sow what some might consider reasonable doubt, but the fact it tries to divide us from God is nefarious at best. The good news is the truth sets us free, and since Jesus declared He is truth incarnate, it’s clear who stands in the gap for us when the enemy attacks (see John 8:31-32 and 14:6).
I hope this helps you seek the Kingdom of God first. Do it in faith, with integrity, for relationship, to be sanctified, because of truth. This is how the Lord wants us to live, so may we do so abundantly (see John 10:10)!
