As a believer in Christ, God wants to be the first and most important in your life. He wants to be above everyone and everything in your life. Life revolves around God on earth and in the heavens because God is the creator of all life forms both here and above. Your relationships and responsibilities should centre on Him because God is your source, sustainer, and the key to success in your life. Without God, you are nothing and cannot do anything, as Jesus says in John 15:5. Therefore, you should live in God and through God to be fruitful in life as a believer in Christ.
There are other important things in life that sometimes take the first place in your life rather than God, such as key relationships, pursuits in careers and business, personal ambitions and aspirations, and common financial pursuits. None of these things are wrong, and they have their place in life; however, these so-called important things should not compete with God. Let’s look at a comparison of one of the things you consider important to you — the currency of money. If you have the option to choose between God and money, which Jesus compares in Matthew 6:24, it is best to choose God. Yes, your reality in this life under the sun often involves chasing money, as it appears to solve everything under the sun. The hard truth is that “under the sun,” money solves many earthly problems. However, another hard truth is that, even though money can solve much under the sun, it cannot heal a soul or anchor a spirit in God.
The apostle Paul also instructs believers in Christ not to love money. He doesn’t say not to desire, use, work for, save, or invest money, but to avoid loving it so much that it becomes more important than God. Loving money in this way means placing it above your affection for God. Nevertheless, Jesus calls us and commands us to love God first, serve Him first, and be loyal to Him before money and other things we value. The reason we should love and remain loyal to God is that God is life, and Deuteronomy 30:19 reminds us to choose life and blessing — God — rather than death and cursing. The financial blessing can also be granted to you as a believer in Christ when you prioritize God above everything else, even what we consider important enough to compete with Him.
The Order of the Human Composition
Before you decide what to prioritize above all else in your life, you should understand the composition of the human person.
A person is a spiritual being. Your spirit resides in your inner man. The human person is a spirit, where we have God’s consciousness and connect with divinity. Since God is spirit and you are made in His image and likeness, you are also a spiritual being (see Genesis 1:26). Both males and females are spiritual beings made in the image and likeness of God, not just a man but also a woman (see Genesis 1:27). The spirit is where you are aware of God and having the inner capacity to know, connect and relate with God.
The human person has a soul. Your soul is your self-awareness and connection with yourself. Your soul resides within your inner being. The breath of life from God’s nostrils makes a person a living soul (see Genesis 2:7). The soul is the seat of the heart, mind, will, and emotions, where anxiety, bitterness, insecurity, and other human negative feelings often live behind polished smiles.
The human person lives in a body. The body is how we sense the world and meet basic needs like food, shelter and clothing. Your human physical body houses your spirit and your soul. Your physical body interacts and relates with your external surroundings, reflecting your world consciousness and connection with the natural world. The elements that make up the human body are formed from dust of the ground, as God created man in Genesis 2:7. Without your spirit and your soul, your body is dead, non-existent, and non-living. Your spirit and soul make your body alive — the breath of life from God.
Now that you understand that your human composition is arranged in this order of spirit, soul, and body for a reason, and that reason should guide your life’s priorities and pursuits. Money can dress a body, but cannot sanctify your soul or save your spirit.
Your Life Priorities and Pursuits
Discovering and defining your true first life’s pursuit and priority is found in Matthew 6:33.
Matthew 6:33–34 (NKJV) 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Let’s examine Matthew 6:33–34 to identify your life pursuit by the word “seek” and your life priority by the word “first”. Your pursuit and priority in life, as a believer in Christ, should be to seek first the following according to Matthew 6:33: God’s relationship, God’s reign, God’s responsibility, and God’s righteousness.
God’s Relationship — Seeking first means knowing the King and pursuing an intimate relationship with Him before chasing the benefits of His Kingdom. Many seek heaven as an escape from hell or as a reward, yet they avoid trying to establish a relationship with the King himself. You are called as a child of God to seek an intimate relationship with your King of kings. This relationship is rooted in love, not transactions, as Scripture instructs us to love God with our whole being — spirit, soul, and body. The foundation and motivation should be love for God. Jesus summarises the two greatest commandments, and the first is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength (body), according to Matthew 22:37. Love is the greatest thing above faith and hope. Your love should chiefly be directed towards God, and then extended to loving others as well yourself.
God’s Reign — The kingdom of God is where God reigns and rules in heaven, on earth, and in your personal life as well. The salvation work of Jesus has made it possible for us to access the Kingdom of God through faith in Him by His grace, as God desires that all men be saved (see 1 Timothy 2:4). The kingdom of God is God as the King of kings and Lord of lords over all. God is the king who holds the supreme position and power over those in heaven, on earth, and under the sea. Jesus also instructed us in the Lord’s prayer to request that God’s kingdom come. His will be done on earth as it is in His heavenly kingdom (see Matthew 6:10). Do you know that God’s reign also applies personally in your life, and yes, even though He rules the heavens and the earth, He also seeks to rule your individual life. Yielding to his leadership in your daily decisions and deeds. Next comes God’s reign, not only over heaven and earth but also within your heart and mind, marked by peace, righteousness, and joy in the Spirit as visible signs of a living personal kingdom.
God’s Responsibility — You are saved to serve, not merely to sit in the church pew. The harvest is plentiful; the workers are few. You are saved not only to enter the kingdom of God but also to serve and spread the gospel of God’s kingdom messages to win souls for Christ. Jesus gave us the Great Commission, which is God’s kingdom purpose for every believer: to go into the world, preach the gospel, make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to observe all things Jesus has commanded you. Jesus also promised to be with you always, until the end of the age (see Mark 16:15–16, Matthew 28:19–20). Since you have such a high calling, it is your responsibility to carry out God’s salvation mandate to win more souls for His Kingdom.
God’s Righteousness — You are saved also to be sanctified to reflect the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. If you want to be in God’s kingdom, you must be transformed in character and conform to the culture of the King to reflect his kingdom lifestyle. Paul reminds us that the Kingdom of God is righteousness, along with peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. You seek God’s character, wearing holiness like clothing fit for a King’s presence. As you pursue righteousness, your intentions, thoughts, speech, decisions, actions, habits, character, and relationships begin to reflect the likeness of the kingdom family.
How to Engage in this Priority A
How do you practice the priorities listed above? First, you must engage with the word of God. The importance and impact of engaging with the word of God are great and useful for teaching, rebuke, correction, and training in righteousness, so that you may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. In the word of God, you will know how to worship God in spirit and in truth. The truth is the Word of God.
It takes the word of God to feed our spirit and soul — the inner man — just as physical food feeds our physical body. As Jesus states, man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (see Matthew 4:4). The word contains wisdom, which is the principal thing, and you can seek God’s wisdom through His word that can aid your navigate life effectively.
Let the word of God be your delight. In God’s word, you will discover His will and desires. The word of God should be our priority, and only from it will you truly come to know God — His likes, dislikes, what is important to Him, and what He values or does not value.
The story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38–42 highlights what appears to be more important to Jesus in terms of priority and pursuit: the invitation and the opportunity for Jesus Christ to speak into your life and to be near you. Mary’s priority is to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to His word, which Jesus confirms as very important. Jesus tries to encourage Martha by telling her not to worry about many things but to focus on this one essential thing that her sister Mary has chosen — the good part — which will not be taken away from her. The Mary-and-Martha moment shows that presence and Word outrank distraction, even with “good” tasks. Sit in the presence of Jesus, listen to His word, and let His truth guide your life and set you free. Mary and Martha become a mirror: do we sit at Jesus’ feet when he speaks, or do we bury ourselves in busyness he didn’t ask for?
Secondly, you must focus your mind on the things above, where Christ is. You are not to conform to this world; instead, be transformed by the renewing of your mind. This is what is good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. The things above signify what God values and holds dearly. Paul, in Philippians 4:8, states what you should focus your mind on — things that God values — things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, and if there is any virtue and anything praiseworthy — meditate on these.
When you engage with the Word, your mind will be renewed, enabling you to focus on things above — the matters of God — to ensure and equip you for the kingdom mission. Having a kingdom mindset also prepares you for the kingdom’s mission.
Summary
As you prioritize God in His relationship, reign, responsibility, and righteousness, provision will be added concerning the necessities of your life here. Your pursuit and priority of seeking first include maintaining a relationship with the King, surrendering to God’s reign in daily decisions and actions, serving in God’s responsibility for us through our calling and gifts, and pursuing God’s righteousness as our way of life. As we put God first and foremost, Jesus assures you that your basic needs will be provided for. Your gracious and generous heavenly Father does not ignore your needs; they are rightly vital and cared for your welfare and your wellbeing. The challenge is simple but difficult to undertake, yet you are called and commanded to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, letting every other pursuit find its proper place.
Contributor — Brahim M Kallon (Wisdom Grace)
