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But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33 NASB
Who comes first in your life? Is it a "special someone", is it your work, your best friend, your parents, your own wants and desires, or is it God?

I wish I could say God always comes first in my life… but if I did I would be lying. I WANT God to always come first. It is truly my desire for Him to be first and foremost in my life. But as I make my way throughout the day and am faced with various decisions, I find myself asking the question, "How will this affect me?" Instead of asking "What does God want me to do?" Sometimes I forget who is in charge and I worry.

Jesus makes it quite clear we should not worry. But even the most spiritually-minded of us argue this by saying, "But I have to work; I have to make a certain amount of money; I have to be clothed; I have to eat." Our greater concern is NOT the kingdom of God. Instead we focus on how we are going to provide for ourselves – our own wants and desires.

Jesus makes it very clear we need to reverse this order. He tells us to get the right relationship with God first, maintaining it as the primary concern of our lives, and never to place our focus on taking care of the "other things" of life.

In today's society there is definitely more of a focus on "self." The "it's all about me" mentality is prevalent. I recently heard about a new book entitled...Enough About You, Let's Talk About Me: How to Recognize and Manage the Narcissists in Your Life by Les Carter. On one website it describes the book as a compassionate guide to understanding and dealing with people who are so self-absorbed, so controlling, and so critical that they make life miserable for those who are around them.

I'm sure this is a great book, but it is a sad reflection on an obviously growing problem in our world today. We are becoming so focused on ourselves it's the filter everything passes through first. It's become such a problem not only do we have books that approach this issue from a serious angle, but we have songs that deal with the issue with a sense of humor like this song by Toby Keith.

I wanna talk about me - wanna talk about I
Wanna talk about number one - Oh my me my
What I think, what I like, what I know, what I want, what I see
I like talking about you you you you, usually, but occasionally
I wanna talk about me (me,me,me,me,me,me)
I wanna talk about me
"I Wanna Talk About Me" performed by Toby Keith

What do you treasure in the world? Is it your car? Your favorite piece of furniture? Your business? Your house? Your bank account?

The treasures of this world are fleeting, but the treasures of our future home are eternal. While in this world we need to spend some time on the treasures of this world in order to provide for our needs and the needs of those we love and support, the message of the Gospel is - our real treasure is in heaven. Let us not spend so much time in earthly pursuits we neglect the spiritual treasure God offers us.

How we spend our time in this life is all a matter of priorities. We can put our own desires and wants first, or we can put God first. Notice in verse 21 Jesus tells us "where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." The attitude of our heart determines what is important in our life. If God is important in our life, we will want to seek treasures in heaven.

The first commandment says,

Whatever or whomever becomes God of your life occupies first place, for only that which has primary importance in your life can be your God. It is that which occupies primary importance in our lives that gives us purpose and direction. What truly defines the purpose and direction of your life? The answer to this primary question will reveal the God of your life.

Here is what we must do -- seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness. If we do that, the other things will take care of themselves. It is all a matter of perspective. When we are at work, is our focus on buying a new car, or is our focus on being a blessing to others? Is our focus on pushing others aside so we can get a promotion, or is it on ministering and serving others?

One thing I have learned is that Christians who live their lives by godly principles find they are the ones who get the promotion or who are blessed with a raise anyway. So why should we make worldly pursuit our focus? Make God your focus, and you will find He will abundantly bless you and meet your every need. It all begins when we learn to put God first.

"'Winging It" from Stan Smith

Washed by the Water of the Word