Firsts of Many Firsts

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33, NKJV)

Here we are, January 26. The first month of a new year in which we have seen many firsts.

We witnessed the inauguration of the oldest President of the United States — a first. And we saw the swearing-in of the first African American, Asian American female to the seat of vice-president of the United States.

We, as a nation, have experienced quite a few firsts from January 1 – January 26. Some of which we’d rather not mention. But as the Apostle Paul instructs us in Philippians 4:8, we choose to “keep our thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten our thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising him always.” (TPT)

The number one is a significant number to God. It is the number that symbolizes unity in the Bible. As a matter of fact, the word first appears 569 times in scripture. The first day, the first month, the first year, the first time. Of the many first appearances in the scriptures, the one theme that remains consistent is God first.

Matthew 6:33 reads, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” And yet, we do the reverse order of this scripture most of the time. We tend to seek after the things first rather than the giver of the things.

In this passage, we see the order God has set for us is: kingdom, then righteousness.

God’s kingdom rule should take priority in our lives. Without such a statute, life can be problematic. Yes, things can appear to be going fine, but continuously keeping God in the backseat can bring on confusion, loss, and spiritual paralysis. God’s righteousness is the required standard by which we are to relate to Him. So, to seek His kingdom and His righteousness is to live in agreement with His standards and His guidelines.

Now, I’m not saying that you will not face challenges by keeping these principles because tests and trials will come. But being in perfect alignment with the kingdom authority of God will put you in the position to receive kingdom provisions.

God will not take second place to anything or anyone. The scriptures note Him to be a jealous God. The only one to be worshipped and adored.

Well then, with that being said, how do I know if I’m genuinely putting the kingdom of God first in my life? For you see, the scriptures tell us, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Proverbs 14:12, 16:25) Here are some test questions we can ask ourselves:

• When I need guidance in making a decision, where do I go first? The word or the world?
• When something is troubling my heart, where do I go first? Into prayer or to my “Bestie”?
• When I need an encouraging word, where do I go first? The Word of God or a friend?

When we seek His Kingdom and His righteousness first, everything else will fall into place.

Look, it’s still early in the year. Let’s re-evaluate our priorities and set the tone for a blessed and prosperous year.

Join me next week for more Coffee on The Couch.