First Things First

From the Pastor: Dr. M. J. Seymour, Sr.

The Lord Jesus Christ said: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matt. 6:23)

Today’s society is plagued with the “live for the moment” attitude. As a whole, it cares nothing for eternity. It is bankrupt of all holiness. It is absolutely obsessed with gaining worldly things. It is more than willing to sell its soul for a few crumbs of bread. It seeks only one thing, to make its fortune at any cost. Generally, this generation has no idea who God really is and does not even want to know. It is malignant to its very core. Mankind is in hot pursuit of every wicked imagination. Self-gratification is the order of the day. Most people are void of the love of God. Society’s understanding of “the pursuit of happiness” is that the more “stuff” one has the happier he is, so many are in pursuit of more “stuff.” The number one national pastime is “going shopping.” After all, going shopping means more “stuff” and more “stuff” means more happiness, but the pursuit for happiness is never filled up with all the “stuff.” The soul is still empty, void of that which really brings true happiness.
This wayward society’s mentality has permeated and contaminated the thinking of our generation of believers. The vast majority of believers have lost their heavenly focus. Vast numbers of today’s believers are being corrupted by the ills of society. The saints have lost sight of the fact that we are in the world, but we are not of the world. True believers are to be storing up heavenly treasures, not worldly “stuff.” We are to seek out heavenly gain, not worldly gain.
Jesus said to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. This means the believer’s first responsibility is to seek the kingdom and the righteousness of God. True happiness will never come from the “stuff” of this world. Worldly gain can never satisfy the eternal soul. Jesus' “first” must be the believer’s “first.” The pursuit of money and “stuff” for happiness is nowhere on the Lord’s list of that which brings true happiness and peace to the soul. Perhaps, we need to listen to the words of the Apostle Paul: “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”(I Tim. 6:6) Let us get to the “first” things “first.” Seek God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness FIRST.