God was teaching me some rather hard to swallow lessons today. I'll share one today. Check my blog for the other one tomorrow.
For as long as I can remember I have always wanted to succeed, to be better. I'm almost 30 and still haven't achieved those dreams. I'm currently not working and have been trying to learn a different trade, get a different set of skills. However by spending more time trying to reinvent myself, I end up straining my marriage.
We had a guest preacher at church today. He talked about Christians being wired to worship, to bring glory to God. My wife really took in his teaching and on our drive home, she was inspired even more than usual about us finding a way to serve God.
"What if that feeling you get about being great, involves you serving God?" she asked. What? I had never seen it that way. I shy away from being committed to serving God,from making it the ultimatum of my life,from making it my life. We are predestined, chosen to serve God. Tonight the scripture "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." came to my mind.
How do I incorporate "seek His kingdom first" into my desire to succeed? That question doesn't even sound right. So what is everyone's understanding of Matthew 6:33?
Edward... I'm so happy to see you diving into the word, and wanting to grow!! I've listed some thoughts on Mt. 6:33 for your consideration.
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1. It signifies prioritizing our time.
2. In assessing the value of the eternal as compared to the temporal, carnal things of this life
• Remember, God gave the very best( a great example to us) John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
3. In giving all diligence, (showing just how important we feel spiritual matters should reflect in our daily conduct).
• Rom. 12:10-11 – “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
• Heb. 6:11 – “ And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end… “
• 2Peter 1:5-8 – “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
4. No situation is too small or insignificant to give consideration of the spiritual and ask; what would Jesus do?
5. It denotes a personal interest… because of who we are as a citizen of the kingdom of God.
• Romans 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
• Rom 8:31-32 - What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
• Rom 8:33-39 – “Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that, who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
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We send our love and pray that all is well with you and the family. god bless!!