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Day 1- Right Priorities

Bible Reading: MATTHEW 6: 19 – 33

Growing up, I used to be that kid who hated getting up early to go to school early in the morning. When my mum did wake me up I would walk into the bathroom to go continue the rest of my sleep and would only fully wake when she starts threatening to come whoop me. As a result of the time wasted trying to catch up with the rest of my sleep, I would usually get ready in a rush and would end up wearing my school uniform the wrong way. The mistake I did make the most was fixing my button in the wrong order.

Fixing the first button in the wrong place means the rest of the buttons would never fit rightly. In the concluding verses of our bible reading, Jesus teaches the crowd about priority:

“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”. Matthew 6:31-33

One of the most beautiful part of this verse is how Jesus reminds us that the father is aware of our everyday needs. We all know how comforting our phone’s autocorrect/auto-predict can be when it correctly predicts the word you need. Far from the comfort that this prediction brings is the comfort of knowing God foreknows your every need. How wise would it then be to make someone who has been where you’re going your top priority?

Not putting God and his kingdom first is like wearing your first button in the second hole. We all have an idea of what that looks like – confusion. On the other hand, making God your first priority means the first button fits in its original position and other buttons that follow fit in their positions too. This perfectly illustrates what life would look like when we actually put God and his kingdom in the right position – first. This gives you the capacity for other stuff in your everyday life. By reason of this, we start to live properly within his kingdom and this allows him to order the series of priorities that comes after his kingdom. Living this way, life becomes less of a struggle as there is less tension trying to figure out the sequence the rest of our priorities should follow and it is easier to unravel his way which is far greater than ours.

We sometimes don’t realise how adrift we are in seeking first God’s kingdom. The easiest way to have a good idea is to examine our heart’s desires. When our desires are not leaning in the direction of God’s greatest commandment – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” – then his kingdom is not our first priority. In other words, making his kingdom our first priority requires us to meditate on his words day and night and not based on our emotions, yield in the direction of obedience and not convenience, take his words as an authority and instruction and not just as some suggestion we decide if we want to do it or not, grow in a heart of generosity and giving to his house in our tithes and generous offerings and not what remains of it.

Let’s make God and his kingdom our first priority today. When what is first is first, everything else can take shape. The beauty of the other side of the story is God already made us his first priority when “He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself”.

Something To Pray
Pray today for a heart that sets God as priority. Pray that regardless of the season or situation you find yourself in, you would stay steadfast in making God and His kingdom your priority.

Olabayoji Oladepo
Olabayoji volunteers with the Bible Engagement team at Sycamore.

5 Comments

  • Ope
    Posted June 1, 2022 at 10:04 am

    God please give me the grace to set you as my priority at all times regardless of any situation or season🙏🏾

  • Mercy Aluko
    Posted June 1, 2022 at 12:57 pm

    When what is first is first, everything else can take shape. What a beautiful reminder. Thank you so much, Olabayoji.

  • ’Dolapo
    Posted June 1, 2022 at 8:38 pm

    Seek first the Kingdom and all will be added!

  • A.S
    Posted June 3, 2022 at 5:52 am

    Thank you for this. God’s kingdom is priority !

  • Precious
    Posted June 4, 2022 at 4:20 pm

    No matter what happens I will seek you first!

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