Content to Seek God
What does it mean to you to “seek God”?
Verse of the Day
‘Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.’
Matthew 6:33
Today’s Devotional
The chapters of Matthew 5-7 are perhaps the most famous sermon in history, the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus explains how a true believer should act. His teachings in this sermon explain a very different code of conduct and underlying motivations than what was the religious norm of that day. Today’s verse comes from a section of the sermon about money, possessions and basic needs.
We don’t live in a society where one typically has to worry about where the next meal will come from. However, we do live in a culture that values wealth and security. Money, possessions, excess, pride: these things could all be considered gods in current American culture. Jesus has pretty harsh words about this. “You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.” (v. 24)
Jesus paints a beautiful picture of how the birds are fed by the Father and how flowers are clothed in beauty by the Father. Then He reminds us that we are more precious to the Father than animals and plants. If I am seeking God and trying to follow His will in my everyday life, God will provide for my basic needs.
But let’s talk about what this verse does NOT mean. (1) If I have a morning “quiet time” and I pray, then I will get all the earthly things I desire. False. This is a misrepresentation of this verse. Jesus only mentions food, drink and clothing. Not once does He mentions my “wants”. (2) In my list of my priorities for the day, spending time with God should be my top priority. While this sounds good, I don’t believe that is what Jesus is trying to teach here. Let me explain.
If you are a list maker, how often do you put “breathing” on your to-do list for the day? I am an avid list maker, but not once have I put breathing on my list. If I am alive, I am breathing. If I am trying to accomplish anything on my list, I am breathing. So, we can assume that breathing is so vital that it must be happening for anything else to occur. I think this concept is what Jesus is teaching us here. No matter what we are doing, we must first be seeking God. As I wake, how can I live this day according to the principles Jesus laid out? If I’m cleaning my house, how can I seek God in that? (I can be grateful for my house. I can work hard and with diligence on that task before me. I can have a heart of service for my family. I don’t need to seek attention for what I’m doing. I can praise the God who made my body able to work.) So, seeking God is not the top priority on my list for the day, it is the overarching priority that needs to blanket every single thing I do.
OK, then, what does it mean to seek God?
There is a part of the 12th step in AA that says we “practice these principles in all our affairs.” As one has walked through the steps, doing all of the needed work, there is a set of principles learned through the process that should then be used in every moment of every day. Those principles are: honesty about one’s powerlessness, hope, faith, courage, integrity, willingness, humility, brotherly love, discipline, perseverance. spiritual growth and service. The principles that Jesus is teaching are:
- Recognizing our need for God
- Humility
- Desire for justice
- Mercy
- Pure motives
- Peace
- Enduring persecution
- Being an example of God’s love
- Choosing forgiveness over anger
- Removing sinful motives
- Integrity
- Generosity
- Loving and praying for our enemies
- Anonymity in our charity
- Prayer
- Privacy with our spiritual disciplines and practices
- Replacing worry with trust in God’s provision
- Being non-judgemental
- Taking the right actions (being fruitful)
- Having foundational faith
That’s a long list and I’m pretty sure I didn’t get them all. I believe that Jesus is telling us to use these principles in absolutely everything we do. Not every situation needs each one of these principles, but every situation in my life could use one or more of these. So if I am to seek God above all else, then I need to apply whichever one of these principles is called for in each moment of my life.
Personally, that sounds like a pretty big ask. That’s why, for me, having a foundational faith is required for me to even have a clue how and when to apply these principles. And there’s even better news. We have a Helper with us in every moment to know how to do this. Seek God, everything else will fall into place.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
How can you practice seeking God as an overarching priority that blankets every single thing you do today?
Which principles that Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount are more difficult for you?
How can you invite the Holy Spirit to be an active Guide and Helper for you to live according to the principles Jesus is teaching?