God First

Everyday God speaks to us. Seeking God’s voice is challenging – there’s no special formula if you do A or B but not C – NO – the Bible give us this promise, that when we do seek Him with everything we’ve got…we will find Him!

One of the greatest examples of this is a simple statement that comes directly from the mouth and heart of Jesus:

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. – Matthew 6:33.

Seems simple, doesn’t it? The idea is actually very easy to understand. But living out this truth will take a lifetime!

To “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” means to turn to God first for help, to fill our thoughts with His desires, to take His character for our pattern, and to serve and obey Him in everything. What’s really important to you? People, objects, goals, and other desires all compete for priority. Any of these can quickly become most important if we don’t actively choose to give God first place in every area of our lives.

Colossians 3:2 – “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” This verse fits perfectly with Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” When we “set our minds on things above,” we look at things from God’s perspective and “seek” what He desires. With so much going on in the world around us, when we follow after Christ, we can love and serve those around us. Regard the world as God does and live in harmony with Him! (Then you will seek Me, inquire for and require Me (as a vial necessity) and fin Me when you search for Me with all your heart. (…there you will seek {inquire for and require as a necessity} the Lord your God, you will find Him if you [truly] seek Him with all you heart [and mind] and soul and life. Deut. 4:29-30)

Paul explains true Christian behavior – putting on the true self by accepting Christ and regarding the earthly nature as dead. We change our moral and ethical behavior by letting Christ live within us, our hearts and minds.

Setting our hearts on things above means striving to put heaven’s priorities into daily practice. Setting our minds on things above means concentrating on the eternal rather than the temporal. Colossians 3:15 says we are to “Let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts” and Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” [God’s peace is different from the world’s peace. True peace is not found in positive thinking, in absence of conflict, or in good feelings. It comes from knowing that God is in control. 

Our citizenship in Christ’s kingdom is sure, our destiny is set, and we can have victory over sin. Let God’s peace guard your heart against anxiety.

To “set your minds on things above” means to look at life from God’s perspective and to see what He desires. This provides the antidote to materialism; we gain the proper perspective on material goods when we take God’s view of them. It also provides the antidote to sensuality. By seeking what Christ desires, we have the power to break our obsession with pleasure and leisure activities. But it also provides the antidote to empty religiosity because following Christ means loving and serving this world. 

Regard the world around you as God does, then you will live in harmony with Him.

In Philippians 4:8, Paul tells us to “Think on These Things” - … whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.