Money Wise Pastor

Career, life, and money wisdom from a pastor's perspective

The Bible and Money: Matthew 6:33 – Seek First the Kingdom of God

| By Rich | |

This week’s Bible and Money focus is on Matthew 6:31-33, part of Jesus teaching in the Sermon on the Mount:

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” – NLT

Has worrying ever changed a situation for you?  Or made good things happen? Or kept bad things from happening?

No.

So why do we worry, then?

I think it makes us feel like we’re somehow in control.

But we’re not.

In Matthew 6:31-33, Jesus says not to worry or become overly concerned about tomorrow – about what we’ll wear or eat or drink.  Unbelievers think about these things all the time, he said, but we don’t need to because God the Father already knows what we need and wants to give us what we need.

Instead of investing our time and emotional energy in worrying about tomorrow, we should invest our time and energy in worshipping God today.

How do we do that?   By seeking God’s Kingdom and his ways of doing things above everything else that vies for our attention, praying and working for his will to be done here on earth (in our lives) as it is in heaven, and by doing what we know Jesus would do if he were faced with the situation we’re faced with right now.

What totally fascinates me is that somehow, when we keep the focus of our lives on God’s Kingdom and righteousness, instead of our own daily needs, we end up getting what we need after all, and we gain a greater awareness and appreciation for Whom it is who gives it to us.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by a fear, concern, or worry?  Try focusing on God more, and the needs of others, instead of dwelling too much on your own need.  Then watch what God does to meet your needs, and whom or what he uses to make it happen.

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About the author

Rich Rich writes on money and personal growth from a pastor's perspective here at Money Wise Pastor. He loves In-N-Out Burger (and has the t-shirts to prove it), big cities, international travel, running marathons, and helping others create more freedom, purpose, and fulfillment in their life and work. Find him on Twitter and Facebook.