But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.  Matthew 6:33 CSB

In our Scripture passage for today, Jesus is telling us we must put God first. We must want God above all other things. When we do this, God will provide all we need. We have to want God more than what we are asking Him for.

When we put God first, we want His will to be done above our own. In John 14:14 Jesus said, If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. This sounds like we can simply ask Jesus for anything, and He will do it. But, if you read the verses before this, you will see that Jesus is saying that anyone who believes in the Father will do His will.

If we do the Father’s will, we will ask for the things that are in God’s will. If we ask for the things that are in God’s will, these requests will certainly be granted. This is just one example of how easily Scriptures are twisted to the point where one might think this verse is saying you could pray to win the lottery or for a new car and God will give that to you.

When we want Jesus more than we want a new job or a new car or whatever we want at any given time, we are putting Him first. We will find that those things matter a little less when we are focused on Him. We will find our load a little lighter when we are focused on Him.

Philippians 4:8 tells us to focus on what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable. It tells us to dwell on any moral excellence and anything praiseworthy. The only thing that satisfies all of these requirements is our Lord and Savior. We should focus on Him and dwell on Him.

Jesus has to be more desirable to us than the sin in our life. We must want His goodness more than we want the lusts of our hearts. We must want Him more than our own selfish desires. If we reject Him, we are in danger of being given up to our own selfish desires (Romans 1:20-24).

We even have to love and want Jesus more than we love and want our family. In Luke 14:26 Jesus said that if any man comes to Him and doesn’t hate his family, He can’t be His disciple. He’s not telling us to despise our family, but He is telling us He must come before our family. He has to be first.

You must put God first to be the best father, mother, or sibling. You must adhere to the instructions found in God’s word for familial relationships.

Maybe you have longed to be an employer or supervisor. Well, if you want to be good at that, you have to want God more. You have to put Him first and you have to adhere to His instructions for being a good supervisor or boss.

We all have hopes and dreams. We all long for changes in our lives to make them better. I am not saying we shouldn’t do this. I am simply saying that we must want God more. We must put Him first over all we do. The difference it will make in your life is phenomenal.

I lived many years putting myself first. That did not work out well for me. There are still times when I get it twisted, but I can usually recognize my error and get back on track fairly quickly. Putting Him first doesn’t mean I get everything I want, but it means I strive to be everything He wants me to be.

In return, He blesses me with peace and joy that I sometimes can’t even comprehend. Trust in Him today. Make Him Lord over your life. Put Him first in all you do. Strive to bring Him honor, glory, and praise in all you say and do. You will be so glad you did.

Have a great day!