The Unsought Kingdom

By: Tamika Mahomes

"Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these thing do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
​Matthew 6:31-34

As we arrive at today's passage, we find Jesus teaching on an essential subject, worry. As humans we are natural worriers, we worry about how the bills are going to get paid, we worry about who does and does not like us, we ever worry about things that may or may not happen. But here in today's passage, Jesus reminds us that while life will give us something to worry about, but he is the ONLY solution.

If we allow it, troubles on this earth can consume us. When our focus is on our problems, we can never truly fix our attention on Christ! While worry is a problem, Jesus gives us a solution, to seek first HIS kingdom. The thing about seeking first God's kingdom is it requires us to be intentional! When we do not intentionally seek God through prayer, fasting, and devotion, we allow God's kingdom to remain unsought in our lives.

Life will always bring worry, and that worry can lead to distraction or devotion, but whether we are consumed with worry or with Jesus is a choice that is ours.

​1 Corinthians 10:13 says: "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

Temptation is anything that tempts us to take our eyes off God. Jesus never said temptation (worry) would not come, but the Bible reminds us that while it may happen, Jesus is our way of escape. When we find ourselves caught up in our problems, we can miss Jesus, but when we find ourselves caught up in Jesus, we can forget about our problems. 

Verse 34 closes with Jesus a reminder, not to worry about tomorrow for tomorrow has enough worries of its own. A reminder that problems on this side of heaven are inevitable, and life will always give us reason to worry. Instead of being consumed in worry, we can fix our focus on God's truth, his word, and his ability to speak to even the biggest and hardest situations in our lives. Isn't it amazing that we can rest in knowing that while tomorrow is full of issues and concerns, we do not have to worry because God is in total control!

Today my friend, I want to leave you with this; do not get so caught up seeking the kingdom of your problems that you forget to look after the kingdom of God. Worries come and go, but Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. ​I encourage you to keep doing your part in looking to Christ and let God do his part in looking after you!