Seek First the Kingdom of God (Mat 6:31) "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' (Mat 6:32) For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. (Mat 6:33) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Mat 6:34) Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. The Gentiles are contrasted with God s people the Jews, and are a symbol of disobedience, rebellion, and seeking after the idols of this present evil age. What should we seek? Seek: G2212 (Mat 7:7) "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (Mat 7:8) For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Does this mean that we can just ask for anything we want and God will give it to us? Christ says this just a few verses later: (Mat 7:13) "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. (Mat 7:14) Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. What is this narrow way? What should we ask for? (Luk 17:33) Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. (Jas 4:1) Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not
come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? (Jas 4:2) You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. (Jas 4:3) You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss (G2560), that you may spend it on your pleasures (lusts). Amiss: G2560 Total KJV Occurrences: 16 sick, 8 Mat_4:24, Mat_8:16, Mat_9:12, Mar_1:34, Mar_2:17, Mar_6:55, Luk_5:31, Luk_7:2 diseased, 2 Mat_14:35, Mar_1:32 evil, 2 Joh_18:23, Act_23:5 amiss, 1 Jam_4:3 grievously, 1 Mat_15:22 miserably, 1 Mat_21:41 sore, 1 Mat_17:15 Pleasures: G2237
(Luk 8:14) Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures (G2237) of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. (Heb 11:24) By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, (Heb 11:25) choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures (G2237) of sin, (Heb 11:26) esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. Let s continue in James 4. (Jas 4:4) Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (1Jn 2:15) Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (1Jn 2:16) For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world. We cannot serve two masters. (Mat 6:24) "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (money, riches). If we are going to serve God first, then these are the evil thoughts we will have to take captive. It s the very next verse. Mat 6:25 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Practical applications: Seeking first the kingdom is a general principal that has many applications in our lives. We will confront countless temptations to do things the world s way, and we must learn in time to overcome those temptations and obey the Lord.
Family: We must seek to serve God and not please the flesh of our families. (Luk 14:26) "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. (Luk 14:27) And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. Our own families will persecute us, which will manifest who we love more, God or man. (Mat 10:35) For I have come to 'SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW'; (Mat 10:36) and 'A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THOSE OF HIS OWN HOUSEHOLD.' (Mat 10:37) He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. Jesus does not mean that we should neglect our families and not provide for him, he is saying that God must come first. (1Ti 5:8) But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (Eph 6:1) Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. (Eph 6:2) "HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER," which is the first commandment with promise: (Eph 6:3) "THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU AND YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH." (Eph 6:4) And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. (Mar 7:9) He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. (Mar 7:10) For Moses said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER'; and, 'HE WHO CURSES FATHER OR MOTHER, LET HIM BE PUT TO DEATH.' (Mar 7:11) But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban" ' (that is, a gift to God), (Mar 7:12) then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother,
(Mar 7:13) making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do." Work: (2Th 3:10) For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. (2Th 3:11) For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. (2Th 3:12) Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread. (1Ti 6:6) Now godliness with contentment is great gain. (1Ti 6:7) For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. (1Ti 6:8) And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. (1Ti 6:9) But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. (1Ti 6:10) For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (1Ti 6:11) But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. (Pro 30:8) Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches Feed me with the food allotted to me; (Pro 30:9) Lest I be full and deny You, And say, "Who is the LORD?" Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God. It is not evil to have riches, it is just very rare for someone to be chose of God and have wealth. Yet there are a few. (1Ti 6:17) Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. (1Ti 6:18) Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, (1Ti 6:19) storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. (1Co 1:25) Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
(1Co 1:26) For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. There are countless other topics that God will try us with. This is just a very basic introduction to the concept of seeking first the kingdom.