Seeking First His Kingdom

Each morning presents itself with countless opportunities to worry. It could be a recent news headline or a comment on your social media post. Or it could be something far more serious—a cancer diagnosis, job layoff, or eviction notice. So, we all know the truthfulness of Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:34, “Each day has enough trouble of its own.” But what is the solution to this trouble, these countless opportunities to worry? Jesus tells his followers to “seek first the kingdom of God” (v. 33). We are not to let these countless worries distract or impede us from putting God’s kingdom first in our lives. Let’s learn about this passage in the Sermon on the Mount with some help from the Tony Evans Study Bible from B&H Academic.

THE CURE FOR ANXIETY – SEEK HIS KINGDOM

Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you — you of little faith?

So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:25–34

STUDY NOTES ON THE TEXT

6:25–30 For many of us, the admonition not to worry about your life (6:25) sounds just as impossible to obey as “Don’t breathe.” Worry and anxiety over life are commonplace. But to this Jesus said in effect, “When was the last time you saw a bird with an ulcer?” Birds don’t worry about where they’re going to get their next meal, and yet the heavenly Father feeds them (6:26). Flowers don’t agonize over looking pretty, but not even Solomon in all his splendor could match the beauty in the fields of God’s creation (6:28-29)? If God gives this kind of attention to birds and flowers, won’t he do much more for you. (6:30)? Trust him.

6:33 How do you know if you’re putting God’s kingdom first? Ask yourself this question: When I need guidance to make decisions, where do I go first? For many Christians, God is like a spare tire. He’s the One they run to when all else fails. So, do you seek God’s perspective first (through his Word and godly counsel), or do you seek the world’s perspective? Kingdom Christians appeal to God’s view and his righteous standards first. Do this, and all these things will be provided for you. Align yourself with his agenda, and your Daddy will take responsibility for meeting your needs.

6:34 Focusing on living for God’s kingdom today is the antidote for worry.

KINGDOM LIVING LESSON – KINGDOM

Seeking First the Kingdom

God’s kingdom is lived out from the perspective of heaven, not earth. That’s why Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you” (Matt 6:33). Far too many Christians, though, think they can mix a little of God with a lot of the world. They’re willing to follow several isolated fragments of what they find in God’s Word—going to church for fellowship, giving money when it’s convenient, not stealing, and so on—but they’re not willing to submit to God’s comprehensive plan and purpose for their lives. They’re not willing to be part of his kingdom agenda.

That’s a big problem. Because when you bring the world into the Word, you’re asking God, the King, to bless something that’s contrary to his kingdom. He won’t do that. In the end, your efforts to keep hold of only a little piece of God actually prevent you from experiencing any part of God because you can’t operate in two kingdoms at once.

If you lose sight of the kingdom, God’s perspective gets lost and you start focusing on the tangible and temporal things in life. When that happens, your judgment begins to be skewed and your decisions become shortsighted. Rather than living out your destiny and purpose, you may end up with wasted time, effort, energy, and emotions.

But when God’s kingdom is prioritized, you get to see heaven both rule and overrule in your life. You will witness God trump circumstances and people that you thought had the last word because only God has the last word. You’ll get to experience him at a whole new level as you experience him as King.

Questions & Answers

QWhy does Jesus’s command to “seek first the kingdom of God” (Matt 6:33) accompany his teaching on worry? How does worry impact our ability to seek God first?

AWorry is one of the great distractions of life, and it is more than mere concern. Concern involves controlling how much time and attention you give to an issue. Worry occurs when the issue controls you. And when the issues in our lives are controlling us, then the kingdom goes to the back of the line in terms of our priorities, because we’ve given our worries too much clout.

Legitimate concern is necessary. But we must control what we think about, how much we think about it, and how we allow it to influence us. When the kingdom is pushed to the background because an issue in your life has assumed control, then that issue has become an idol and a god, thus hindering the true God from meeting the need that is causing you to worry.

APPLICATION QUESTIONS

1. Read Matthew 6:25-34
2. What are the main benefits or desirable things mentioned in these verses?
3. What do these verses teach about anxiety? What are the main causes of anxiety in your life?
4. Identify one change you’ll make this week to place God and his kingdom first in your life.

Maintain the Kingdom Mindset with the Tony Evans Study Bible

The Tony Evans Study Bible uses the Christian Standard Bible and contains plenty of features to help you advance God’s kingdom agenda. There are study notes, articles, lessons, and even links to video devotionals! Stop by our store today and learn more about this study Bible!