76,000,000 Documented decisions for Christ

All These Things

by Daniel Kolenda

Careers, life partners, finances, location, and education should never be our chief focus. All of these things will be sorted out and added to us as we keep the Kingdom of God as our primary concern. As we seek God's will for our lives, we can be sure that it will never move us in a direction that is contrary to God's Kingdom purposes.

The imperative of seeking God's Kingdom is not only relevant in the context of highly spiritual ministry issues. Jesus says that if we seek the kingdom first, all these things will be added to us. This is one of the most powerful secrets to discovering God's will for your life. If you will set your sights on His Kingdom and make that your priority, as you move toward it you will automatically come across everything else you need!

Once after I had finished preaching about the Kingdom of God, an elder in the church approached me and said, "You know, all these lofty ideas are wonderful, but most of the people in the church are just trying to figure out how to pay their bills and get along with their spouse and raise their kids and do a good job at work". I realised that in many ways this dear friend was right. Most Christians consider the Kingdom of God to be something so lofty that it is best left to pastors and evangelists.

The famous psychologist Abraham Maslow espoused a similar view. He constructed a pyramid that he titled the Hierarchy of Needs. It was his opinion that before someone could 'self-actualise', he first needed to meet the baser needs of human nature such as food, shelter, and companionship. Maslow believed that before one could reach the lofty ideals at the top of the pyramid, he would need to climb from the bottom, meeting the basic needs first. This seems to be the most intuitive approach to life. Many people think the Kingdom of God is an ethereal and irrelevant topic, and they prefer to be 'down to earth'. They have decided to first concentrate on putting food on the table and paying the bills. This seems to be the responsible and practical thing to do.

But what Jesus taught is quite the opposite. Jesus said, "Don't worry about what you will eat or what you will wear. Your Father in heaven knows you need these things, and He will take care of you. Instead seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you." (See Matthew 6:25-33.) What Jesus was teaching was Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs in reverse. Jesus turns Maslow's pyramid upside down! Jesus teaches us to start at the pinnacle of the pyramid, the highest and loftiest place. Put the kingdom of God first, and everything else will be taken care of physical, mental, and emotional needs included.

If you want to know what job God has for you seek His Kingdom, and you'll find your occupational calling!

If you want to know whom you should marry seek His Kingdom, and you'll find your spouse!

If you want to know where you should go to college seek His Kingdom, and you'll land in the right school!

If you want to know where you should live seek His Kingdom, and He'll lead you to the right geographical location!

Can it really be that simple? Could this one command really be the secret to finding out God's will? My friend, these are not my words. These are not the words of a philosopher or a preacher. These are the words of the Son of God Himself; "But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matt. 6:33, NKJV, emphasis added).

I am an evangelist who travels the world preaching the gospel. The work I do would have been impossible without my amazing wife, who shares my passion for evangelism and ministry. I know many preachers whose ministries have been cut short because they married the wrong woman, but I am so thankful that the Lord gave me a wife who is a perfect fit for the calling on my life. You might think I had to search high and low to find such a wonderful wife. The truth is that I wasn't even looking for a wife when I met her. I was actually in Bible school in obedience to the call of God. My heart was set on serving the Lord. I was seeking God's kingdom, and then one day it happened, I fell in love! As I was seeking God's Kingdom, He gave me a wife. I think this is how we often discover God's will for our lives. As we follow Him daily, He 'adds' unto us blessing after blessing, and every need we have, be it emotional, physical, financial, or spiritual is taken care of.

Many people have put education first in their lives. When all is said and done, they will be highly intelligent fools, missing the greatest wisdom of all in their endless search for knowledge. Many people have put money first in their lives. When all is said and done, they will know the truth of Matthew 6:24 "You cannot serve both God and Money" (NIV). Many people put family first in their lives. When all is said and done, it is their family who will pay the price for their misdirected priorities. When we put anything ahead of Christ and His Kingdom in our lives, not only will we miss God's kingdom, but we will also miss all the other treasures as well.

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