Kingdom Priorities

Matthew 6:33

But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Figuring out where our resources are going shows us precisely where our heart is. People are often surprised when they sit down and actually follow the money. Consider purchasing a small notebook and recording everything that comes into your possession and everything you spend. Most of us will be shocked with how much we are spending on things of no eternal value and how little we are giving to facilitate God’s kingdom. This information can help us be intentional about how we are using our money and about putting our resources into things that are important to God. This is where Jesus’s words to his disciples – that they should not worry about what they will eat or how they will be clothed – come home. Instead, we are to seek [God’s] kingdom first “and all these things will be given to [us] as well”.

When we realize that our entire lives belong to God, it is only reasonable for him to direct us in how we use everything that he has given us. When we see our lives this way, we become real stewards. We see that our calling from God is to manage what he has given us for his glory.

As we begin to take an inventory of our possessions, surrender ourselves to God, and realign our budgets with God’s priorities, we will often rediscover a joy we didn’t know we could experience. We have been freed from the grip of money to live fully for our Master, Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit begins to change our hearts as we follow Christ with our finances. When we give up things that the world values, we make a statement that there is something worth it – something of much greater value that we stand to gain.

Reflection Questions

Read Matthew 6:25-33 again. Make a list of the things which worry you most – clothes, rent, groceries, medicine, etc. Ask the Spirit to guide you as you choose one to trust God for today. Over the coming days and weeks, work your way prayerfully through your list, striving to make the Kingdom of God your priority in everything.