We all need food, clothing and shelter. No human being can survive without some degree of those things. It’s not our fault. God made us that way. It stands to reason that these temporal needs play an important part in our life. Some people would even steal to obtain food and clothing, if they get desperate enough.
But Jesus does not want us to become preoccupied with our temporal needs. “For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things,” He says (Luke 12:30, NASB). Jesus wants us to live differently than the way unbelievers live in this regard. The world seeks after these things, but He says to us, “Do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink….” (v. 29).
Jesus is not saying we should not think about our temporal needs. We can’t help but think about them. When I get up in the morning, I have to think about what clothes I will put on. Or what I will eat for breakfast. But those concerns should not dominate our life.
The Lord is not making light of this important area of our life. But instead of placing it at or near the top of our list, He wants concern for our temporal needs near the bottom. He says, “Seek His Kingdom, and these things will be added to you” (v. 31).
This was Jesus’ way of saying that God will faithfully provide for His own. He wants us to trust Him and not to worry about what we will eat or where we will sleep.
Christians Already Belong to the Kingdom of God
Jesus makes a distinction between believers and unbelievers. To the believers, He refers to God as “Your Father.” To unbelievers, He refers to them as “the nations of the world.” But still, He calls on the people of God to seek the Kingdom, as if they have yet to find it.
But for those of us who are already in the family of God, to seek the Kingdom does not mean to seek to find it or to seek to enter therein. If God is our Father, we already belong the Kingdom. Christ is our King and we are under His rule from heaven. Rather, to seek the Kingdom of God means for us to live daily in pursuit of heaven’s agenda.
For instance, Paul the apostle writes, “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Romans 14:17, KJV).
We don’t have to seek the Kingdom of God as a condition for Him to provide for us. He is our heavenly Father. His love for us is unconditional. But He is calling us to live a life focused on heaven and not on our earthly concerns. I’m saying that if we take care of Kingdom-business, God will take care of all our needs in this life.
Copyright © 2022 by Frank King. All rights reserved.