As the redeemed, God’s property, we need not worry.
The reason why the Lord Jesus asks us to seek first the kingdom of God is because we no longer belong to ourselves.
Because we belong to Him, Jesus gives us His instructions.
Matthew 6
31 Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
What does it mean to worry?
To worry is to be troubled or tormented, to panic, to be overwhelmed, alarmed, agitated.
And what often causes men to worry is material things. But God says not to worry about these things, that’s why He says not to worry about what we’ll eat, drink, wear…For all these things, it’s the gentiles who seek them. This means that pagans are focused on the things of the body.
When the gentiles gets up in the morning, he only looks for physical nourishment, he goes shopping only for food, clothes, creams to maintain his body…
Concern comes from within, from the heart, but what we listen to comes from the outside. Now, if God is inside the heart, and the Christian is aware that God has redeemed him, that he belongs to God, then he will stop worrying, stop being troubled.
Beloved, there’s nothing God doesn’t know in advance. Before the sun rises, God has already seen.
Jesus said to Nathaniel when you were under the fig tree, I saw you. John 1.48
Nathaniel was surprised; he thought he was alone, but Jesus had seen him in spirit.
When God says not to worry, it’s because He’s in control of our lives as the redeemed.
On the contrary, we need to develop faith, which is the opposite of worry, because worry and doubt go hand in hand.
Faith is what God wants us to have, it’s what we need to develop knowing that God is with us, He’s faithful to His word. He’s always there to take care of us.
That’s why He told us to seek first the kingdom of God.
What does search mean?
Seeking means taking the time to find things, taking the effort to discover, probe and study.
In other words, to seek is to strive to receive what we seek, not even to distract ourselves, but to focus.
Do everything to understand the things of God, desire them, pursue them.
For example:
- we must seek God’s peace,
- continue to seek God’s presence in our lives,
- we must pray every day to experience God,
- to find out how God directs,
- seek to be sensitive to God’s voice,
- seek to understand God’s will,
- seek to please God by knowing what’s in your heart…
While we are on earth, we can seek the kingdom of God. That’s why the Holy Spirit is present and the Word is given.
To the point where our thoughts will be talking to God. Beloved, we must turn our thoughts, our imaginations to God according to the Word.
How can we do this in a practical way?
For example, God says to me “I am with you”, I have just read this word, so I decide to take it very seriously and start conversing with Him believing what He has told me.
I don’t ignore Him and I do everything knowing that He is with me. This is also what it means to seek the kingdom of God.
The Lord is with me everywhere and at all times: when I’m on public transport, at work, at home, eating, walking, sleeping… So I can talk to Him at any time, in my heart or out loud. This is what it means to seek God.
This opportunity is given to us every day, free of charge. Let’s not limit God in our thoughts, what we can’t do, don’t think He can’t do.
Let us know that the Lord is God and we are his children. Let's enjoy His presence, let's not worry about anything.