What Comes First
"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you" - Matthew 6:33
Your priorities shape your life more than anything else. What you put first sets the tone for everything that follows. Jesus made that clear when He said to seek first the kingdom of God. Not second. Not when it’s convenient. First.
In Luke 10, Jesus tells a story where two religious men passed by a man in desperate need. They were the priest and the Levite. Men known for their spiritual role. Men who, by appearance, had the right training and position. But when the moment came, they kept moving. They didn’t stop. They didn’t ask. They didn’t help.
Why? Because they had other priorities.
That part should make us pause. Not just to reflect on our schedules, but to look at our hearts. It is one thing to say we love God. It is another thing to actually order our lives around Him. When your own plans, your own comfort, or your own goals take first place, it becomes easy to overlook what God might be asking of you in the moment.
A kingdom-first life does not just happen. It is built day by day, choice by choice. It means choosing God’s will over your own. It means making space for prayer even when you are busy. It means being available for God to interrupt your day and use you in ways you did not expect.
The Samaritan in the story had every reason to keep moving. But he didn’t. He saw. He felt. He acted. His heart was ready because his priorities were in the right place. And Jesus said, “Go and do the same.”
What comes first in your life? Is God’s kingdom at the top of the list, or has it been pushed somewhere down below your plans and preferences? If you want to live with purpose and impact, you have to start with what matters most. Put Him first. And then let everything else fall in line behind that.
Your priorities shape your life more than anything else. What you put first sets the tone for everything that follows. Jesus made that clear when He said to seek first the kingdom of God. Not second. Not when it’s convenient. First.
In Luke 10, Jesus tells a story where two religious men passed by a man in desperate need. They were the priest and the Levite. Men known for their spiritual role. Men who, by appearance, had the right training and position. But when the moment came, they kept moving. They didn’t stop. They didn’t ask. They didn’t help.
Why? Because they had other priorities.
That part should make us pause. Not just to reflect on our schedules, but to look at our hearts. It is one thing to say we love God. It is another thing to actually order our lives around Him. When your own plans, your own comfort, or your own goals take first place, it becomes easy to overlook what God might be asking of you in the moment.
A kingdom-first life does not just happen. It is built day by day, choice by choice. It means choosing God’s will over your own. It means making space for prayer even when you are busy. It means being available for God to interrupt your day and use you in ways you did not expect.
The Samaritan in the story had every reason to keep moving. But he didn’t. He saw. He felt. He acted. His heart was ready because his priorities were in the right place. And Jesus said, “Go and do the same.”
What comes first in your life? Is God’s kingdom at the top of the list, or has it been pushed somewhere down below your plans and preferences? If you want to live with purpose and impact, you have to start with what matters most. Put Him first. And then let everything else fall in line behind that.
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