In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus stresses prioritizing rightly. His words “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33) do not mean that following Christ is a recipe for having earthly wealth. Rather, the teaching is that if we serve God to the best of our ability, we can trust that things will be OK (cf. Rom. 8:28). Faithful servants of Christ’s can be content, joyful, and at peace even in the midst of life’s hardships (cf. Phil. 4:4-13).
Contrast this with the reverse mindset of “if everything is good in my life, then I will obey God.” This is the opposite of what our Lord taught. If we follow Christ, we will see life very differently than the world sees it.
Consider the people deemed successful by the world. Those who gain riches, fame, power, or prestige are often praised. Gaining such things is not necessarily wrong, but what makes one truly rich is far different from this (cf. 1 Tim. 6:6). The (materially) poor who seek first the kingdom of God have far deeper blessings than the (materially) rich who put God’s will on the backburner (cf. Rev. 2:9; 3:17).
Regardless of what the world stresses, we can choose to pattern our thinking and values according to what God says.
May we truly seek first the kingdom of God, prioritizing our service to Him above all else, and thus be spiritually rich.
– Michael Hickox