Seek first the kingdom of God

The Summit Team Seven Day Prayer Devotional is out! Please pick one up, or participate online in prayer for our team as they head for training at the CR Summit.  

Our ministry schedule is overflowing right now; it usually does in the summer months. Every year time seems to accelerate after July 4th to the end of the year! We have the Summit, The Scramble, Triumph in September, the launch of the Landing in September, Thanksgiving celebration, and Feliz Navidad between now and the end of the year.  

Feeling overwhelmed today I turned to Matthew 6 where Jesus teaches on anxiety. 

Matthew 6:33–34 (CSB)  

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.  

These two verses present a solution to our anxiety. Many of us try to provide for our needs in our power. Here Jesus teaches that relying on our own ability inflates our anxiety. In verse 33 he reminds us to remove focus from our own will and place focus on God’s will and seeking his righteousness. By centering attention on God, and not ourselves, “all these things” including his righteousness will be supplied, which eases our anxiety. 

Also, here we are reminded that we rarely worry about today, it is the future that bothers us. When we restrict our concern to what is presently happening, anxiety is lessened. Jesus is not promising a trouble-free life, but he is teaching us the difference between facing our problems with firm faith and facing them with anxiety. We cannot control the future, but we can focus on God’s will and directive in the present which allows us to make clear decision for the kingdom.  

Please pray for our ministry, 

Chris