Matthew 6:24-34 (KJV) - No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
In America, we strive for the 'dream' of a nice family, car, home, and job. We have been conditioned to strive for secure lifestyles that allow us to live 'on our own terms' (i.e. vacations, additional homes, money, hobbies, etc.). From our youth, this 'dream' is ingrained in us to reach for and obtain...and anything less is failure.
Now, we can't blame society (because we have to take responsibility for our own actions), but we cannot allowed the securities of this world to consume us - where we will go, what we will do, and how we will make it when we get there. If we live in this manner, we can remain attached to the world and miss God's mark (His will) because we are more concerned about having a secure life than seeking God's will and righteousness.
Jesus says God knows what we have need of (Matthew 6:32) - so what do we have to worry about?! Let us place our trust in God to provide for every one of our needs. Let us place our energy, time, and focus on seeking first the kingdom of heaven and His righteousness.
Seeking the kingdom of heaven and His righteousness represents God's will and His way of living. Seeking the kingdom represents:
- the striving of salvation through faith/belief in Jesus Christ
- living as Jesus (our King) has established as 'citizens' of His kingdom
God's righteousness represents living in right standing before Him. It is living in His will.
Do not allow the security of the world to sway your life as a disciple of Jesus. Be secure in Him.
