Scripture Reading…Matthew 6:25-34
Devotion
The Sermon on the Mount. That is where our reading comes from today. What do we do with this sermon? On one hand it seems almost impossible to put into practice what Jesus is teaching and saying and yet, on the other hand, there is no doubt that he expects us to actually do what he preaches in this sermon. So, here we are…the words of Jesus are not difficult to understand, but they are really hard to put into practice.
If we are ever to be successful in practicing these words, we MUST hear Jesus’ call to “seek first the kingdom of God.” We have no chance of being consistent with the call of Jesus in this sermon if that doesn’t happen. Our families have no chance of growing in the faith if we are not seeking first the kingdom. What does seeking the kingdom of God first look like?
It means praying together. Serving together. Worshipping together.
It means letting my faith impact EVERY decision I make, large or small.
It means my kids don’t just see me loving Jesus on Sunday, but every day.
It means saying, I am sorry, when we as parents mess up.
It means being different and acting differently than the world around us.
It means asking the right questions…Is this (whatever this is) going to bring honor to Jesus? Will what I am about to do or NOT about to do damage my reputation as a follower of Jesus? What would Jesus do in this situation?
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CHALLENGE FOR THE DAY
Walk at least one mile today.
Respond to the online community.
Two things to do today…
First, I want you to skip a meal (if you are medically able to do so). Replace that meal with a time of prayer, replace that meal with a time of meditation, a time where you draw near to God. Whatever time you would normally take to eat, dedicate it back to God. Let him be your food for the day.
Second, I want you to add to the list above in answer to the question, what does seeking the kingdom of God first look like.
Piggybacking a bit off what others have already said here, Christianity is not a part-time job. As Mark W. said, we should "keep God in every moment of our lives." In everything we do and say, try to make sure God would approve of it. Will we fail at times? Yes, but the New Testament writings assure us that any sin we are willing to confess, God will forgive. But we can't follow laws that we don't know. And we can't teach others Christian principles unless we know and practice them. Stay close to Jesus. Stay in the book.
I think one way we can seek first the Kingdom of God is to see God in every moment of our lives. To not only acknowledge him when we worship, or pray when we are hurting but to see Him and credit Him for everything. I actually don’t know that I can even begin to do this but I think it would change our approach and thoughts completely.
Seeking the kingdom of God means to make God a part of everything I do. Just not when it convenient It’s seeking out ways and opportunities to serve and minister to others. Looking for the good in others We should always have a servant heart and when an opportunity presents itself take advantage of it. So many times I think, “I wish I had or I should have”. There are so many people just waiting for someone to reach out to them.
Seeking the kingdom of God means we have to stop giving excuses for why we don’t follow what we are commanded to do.
whatever Jesus Commands for us to do, we are to do it; if we are commanded to give, we should give. If we are commanded to serve, we are to serve.
we can come up with excuses all day long as to Why we shouldn’t do what we are commanded; citing reasonable excuses for all sorts of things. But the truth of the matter is what we already know. We have been commanded by the creator of all things, can we for once try doing what he says without trying to get out of it?
I think another way we seek first the kingdom of God is by offering forgiveness to people. We offer forgiveness to those who have admitted their wrong and we offer forgiveness to those who haven’t. We are never more like Jesus then when we forgive others.