Hans Sangtoki Bible Reading: Matthew 6:25-34
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33)
God’s remedy for worry and anxiety about tomorrow’s certainty is not answers and assurance that we will have food, money and a comfortable life in the days ahead. This is what we all think will solve our problems. If only God showed me my future career, my future spouse, my future friends and all the happy blessings I was to enjoy, then life would be good, and I wouldn’t be anxious. We are worried because we are uncertain what the future will bring. We don’t know whether it will be hard or easy or near impossible. The fact that we don’t know makes us worry.
However, God does not solve this problem by showing us a neat blueprint of our future. If that was what we were hoping for, then prepare to be disappointed. God works in ways we could never have thought of. He calls us to seek His kingdom and righteousness first and promises that the future needs that make us anxious will be met.
What does it mean to seek God’s kingdom and righteousness? A kingdom has a king, and in a kingdom, everyone must bow down to the king and do as he commands. God is the king of his kingdom, but he is not a tyrant or dictator. God is a good king, and his ways are righteous. To seek God’s kingdom means to make God the king over our lives and the lives of others. When we are the king of our own lives, we rule and allow ourselves to do whatever we want in all unrighteousness. If we were to seek God’s kingdom in our lives, that means we let God be the new king over our thoughts and actions and follow his ways of righteousness. Similarly, we are called to spread God’s kingdom to the whole world. This means we are called to challenge other people to submit to God as their king so that more and more people become citizens of God’s kingdom and follow God’s righteous ways.
Okay, so how does this relate to my worries and anxiety?
We worry because we think that our greatest need for the future is food, shelter, a good job, a loving family etc. We think that these things will bring us comfort, satisfaction and joy. Don’t get me wrong; these things are absolutely essential for survival. Without them, we would die. But, if we lived only to survive, then what would be the point of living?
When God works, He gets straight to the heart. God knows that what we need most is not food or shelter or a good job. What we need most is a relationship with God Himself. That is what we were created for. God challenges us to focus our attention and prioritise obeying and trusting Him as the king of our lives because He wants a relationship with us. He wants us to prioritise Him by listening to His Word and obeying it in our lives. He wants us to turn from sin to righteousness. All these things are possible only because Christ has paid for them with His blood.
More than ourselves, God also invites us to be His co-workers in spreading His kingdom to even more people. Here, the focus is still the same. God wants us to trust Him in the ministry He entrusts to us even though at times it might seem that if we focus on spreading the gospel, then there might be no food on the table or no time to study or work. When we trust in Him, we grow in our relationship with Him.
God promises that He will meet our needs when we seek first His kingdom. Are you willing to put your trust in Him?
Lord, please teach us what it means to seek Your Kingdom. Help us to trust and obey You. Reveal to us Your Word and Your will in our lives and help us follow that. Forgive us when behind our worries, we forget that You alone are our hearts utmost need and desire and that You alone can fill the void inside us. We need You, and we want to get to know You. Reveal Yourself to us. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Hans Sangtoki (18) is the coordinator of RE Generation Z. He has a passion for serving his generation and sharing hope in Christ. He also has an interest in classical music and dreams of conducting an orchestra one day.