But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)

We live in an age of dramatic distraction. Many of us know what we need to do, but we can become sidetracked by many competing demands. The result is we’re unsure about our priorities. Jesus addressed this problem in the Sermon on the Mount. He taught the people that they did not need to be in bondage to worry.

Many people are seeking to make a living, but not a life. We may discover too late that the most important things in life are not things, but our relationship to God and people. The word seek conveys the idea of a careful investigation or search. This is a present tense imperative, which means that we are to keep on seeking.

When Jesus said that we are to seek first His kingdom, this does not imply that we are to become an ascetic. We are to replace earthly desires with a pursuit that has far greater significance in this life and the life to come. The word first denotes that which is most important.

What are you seeking in life? C.S. Lewis in The Joyful Christian remarked, “Aim at Heaven and you will get earth thrown in, aim at earth and you will get neither.” Goethe taught us, “Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least.”

The word righteousness is a demonstration of Godly character before God and men. Would others describe you as a person of character? The more you focus on God’s kingdom and His righteousness, the less you’ll think about your concerns. We are to focus not on our problems, but on God’s promises.