First Things First
A kingdom confrontation
In Matthew 6, Jesus speaks to people weighed down by anxiety—about food, drink, clothing, security, and the future. He tells them not to be anxious about life because the Father already knows what they need, pointing to birds and lilies that are cared for without stress or striving, then asking: “Are you not of more value than they?”
When we look at our culture, we see the same anxiety in a different outfit. We chase provision, stability, ambition, and experiences—all of which can be good, but only when they are in the right order. Jesus steps into that misplaced order and says, in essence, “You’ve got it backwards. You are chasing what the world chases. My people seek first the kingdom of God.”
Addition or alignment?
We live in a world addicted to the peripheral. We talk about balance, self‑care, career development, strong relationships, savings, and goals. But without realizing it, we start building our lives around addition—adding more and more—rather than alignment with the rule and reign of God.
Jesus exposes this in Matthew 6 by revealing what we seek first. When we seek everything else first—comfort, security, affirmation, success—Christ and His kingdom slowly fade into the rearview mirror. They are still there, but distant, vague, and easy to ignore.
Our aim this year is simple and costly: we want our hearts awakened to the person and presence of Jesus, and we want our priorities reordered around His rule and His reign. We do not want Jesus as a spiritual “add‑on”; we want Him at the center, in first place.
We can’t seek two kingdoms
Jesus said we cannot serve two masters. In the same way, we cannot seek two kingdoms first. He did not say, “Seek my kingdom also,” or, “Fit my kingdom in when you can.” He was clear: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
That means if we are trying to give first place both to God’s kingdom and to our own, our loyalty needs to be reordered. The things Jesus listed—food, clothing, daily needs—are things unbelievers obsess over because, without God, they have to. As followers of Jesus, we are called to live differently. We are not invited to treat Him like another influencer competing for attention in our lives; He is Lord, and He is not content to be second.
What it means for us to seek the kingdom first
Seeking the kingdom first is not just a spiritual slogan; it is a practical reordering of everything. It changes how we love, how we live, how we spend our time, and what we value, even in how we handle money and opportunity. To make that concrete, we can ask ourselves three questions together.
1. Are we self‑governed or God‑governed?
Is Jesus truly the Lord of our lives, or does He simply get a reserved slot in our weekly schedule? Seeking the kingdom first means we surrender the right to govern ourselves. His voice has veto power over our preferences, plans, and patterns.
2. Are we choosing holiness over comfort?
Following Jesus always brings pressure, stretching, and refining. If we constantly avoid that refining work to protect our comfort, we are not seeking His kingdom first. When we say “yes” to holiness—even when it costs us reputation, convenience, or ease—we align our lives with the King.
3. Are we choosing His mission over our success?
The Great Commission is not a suggestion. When Jesus told us to “go and make disciples of all nations,” He was issuing a command, not offering an optional upgrade to the Christian life. If our definition of success never includes sharing our faith, making disciples, and living as salt and light, then we are prioritizing our kingdom, not His.
How seeking first reshapes our desires
When we say “seek first the kingdom,” we are not just talking about outward obedience. Jesus is not merely after our compliance; He is after our affections. He wants us to obey Him because we love Him.
Seeking the kingdom first changes what we love. The world tells us fulfillment comes from accumulation—more stuff, more status, more recognition. But in Jesus’ parables in Matthew 13—the treasure hidden in a field and the pearl of great price—we see another pattern. In both stories, a person joyfully sells everything because they have found something greater.
That is what we want 2026 to look like for our church and our lives: a year of joyfully trading lesser treasures for the greater treasure of knowing Christ. When the kingdom of God becomes our ultimate love, sacrifice begins to feel like strategy. We stop asking, “Why does it cost so much?” and start asking, “What else can we give? What else can we surrender so that our lives are more aligned with the King and His kingdom?”
Kingdom economics: alignment before abundance
Jesus promised that when we seek first the kingdom and His righteousness, “all these things”—our needs—will be added. That is not a prosperity formula; it is kingdom order. When God is first, things align.
Here is what that looks like in everyday life:
Our relationships begin to find peace as His love and truth shape them.
Our work takes on new meaning because it becomes service, not just survival.
Our anxious hearts find calm because we trust our Father’s care.
Even our finances begin to reflect His priorities rather than our fears.
Faith is not passive trust; it is active prioritization. When we place our lives under God’s authority, resources and provision flow according to His wisdom and timing. When we chase “added things” first, we end up exhausted and spiritually hungry. In kingdom math, when first things are first, God adds. When second things become first, God lovingly disrupts the disorder so that we return to Him.
A fresh start: putting God first together
Every new year gives us a fresh opportunity to realign. We see this in our shared struggle with generosity, priorities, and anxiety. There are moments when our fears about the future or our attachment to comfort fight for first place in our hearts. Yet every day, God’s mercies are new, and His grace is available to help us reorder what has drifted out of place.
This is why, as a church family, we are taking intentional steps at the start of 2026—setting aside focused time for prayer and fasting, and investing sacrificially in gospel work beyond our walls. These are not religious stunts; they are lived declarations: “God, You are first. Your kingdom and Your righteousness matter more than our convenience, our comfort, or our carefully guarded schedules.”
Our invitation for 2026
So here is the invitation as we step into this year:
Let this be the year we stop treating Jesus as an addition and start honoring Him as King. Let this be the year we allow Him to walk into the middle of our busy, noisy lives—like stepping into a chaotic city intersection—and hear Him say, “Follow Me.” When we say “yes” to that voice, we are not just agreeing with a verse; we are seeking the kingdom of God first.
And when the kingdom comes first, everything else—everything that truly matters—will fall into its rightful place.
