Matthew 6:33-34   But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

If you are a person who was raised in the church you’ve heard this verse many times.

When I was a brand new, born-again Christian, I was looking for the secrets to walking in my new faith.  How do people do this “Christian” thing?  One of the first answers I received was that it’s important to memorize scriptures.  This is one of our most powerful tools of warfare against our enemy, Satan.  Scripture verses, once memorized, are meant to create an internalized guidance system.  When we veer off course, our warning system will alert us that we need to make adjustments and return to the course.  In other words, the Holy Spirit is able to pull scriptures from our memory and help us when we are facing decisions.  This is one of the very first scriptures I memorized, and it still has the power to bring me back to peace, when I’m worrying about tomorrow.

How do we go about seeking God first?  As I’ve pondered this question, I’ve considered some of these things.  Am I making choices according to what I believe in my Christian faith?  Am I comparing the things I do, and the information I receive up against the scriptures?  Can a Christian promote ideas that are clearly unbiblical?  I think the answer is obvious.  We are called to put all of our decisions through a prism of our understanding of God’s word.  Consider also the ten commandments.  In the secular world, they have clearly fallen out of favor, but God’s word stands forever.  In order to have God’s peace we need to seek his righteousness also.  We must align our values to his.  Sadly, we can be lured into the trap of believing that God is a flexible idea that we can bend to our viewpoint. The viewpoints thrust upon us daily are rarely biblical.

God has placed some boundaries on our lives to protect us from harm.  We can dance all around that idea, but we are either coming into alignment with God’s word or we are living our lives for ourselves. Those living their lives in their own way, are not seeking his kingdom and righteousness first.  Once we have the habit of seeking God’s kingdom and righteousness first, then we can expect that other things will to be given to us. Other things may be spiritual in nature, such as peace.  Or they may be practical things we need such as money or good health.

If we can put our eyes and priorities back on Jesus, He will give things to us.  When confronted with a bill that is due, a task, or event that is looming, recall to mind that we are not to worry about tomorrow.  The Lord gives us instruction to let tomorrow’s evil go.  We have permission to stay in this day and allow Him to work out the details of our short and long-term tomorrows.

I read a helpful book by Dale Carnegie,  “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living”.  One of the author’s ideas is to live in “day-tight compartments”.  This is a biblical concept that will help anyone who is struggling with anxiety.  Take comfort knowing that the Lord expects you to manage this day alone.  He has the big picture in sight and is delicately working out the details that pertain to your future.  Take a quick check and make sure that you still have first things first, then you can move ahead through your tasks with peace.  Remember, God has only given you this one day to tackle.

Heavenly Father, we seek to put your kingdom and righteousness first.  Help us to learn your word and internalize it, so that we have a guidance system within us.  We understand that temptations will come to take us off course.  Lord, lead us back through your word.  Help us to do our best today.  Jesus, we ask that you manage the evil that comes with tomorrow.  May our peace be restored as we keep our eyes on you. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Suggested Reading: How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, Dale Carnegie