Many of you know my Soren Kierkegaard quote:  If you don't seek first the Kingdom of God, you won't seek the Kingdom of God."  I love that quote, because it reminds us that we really can have only one number one in our lives.  Here's how Jesus put it:  ³³Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. ³⁴“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.  

When we seek the Kingdom of God above all else, or when we seek first the Kingdom of God, we put God in the "driver's seat" of our lives.  From that moment forward, God obligates Himself to care for our needs.  When we are in charge of our lives, or when we put anything except God first in our lives, we are responsible to care for our own needs.  It seems like a no brainer to go with God being responsible to meet our needs instead of us.  Yet billions of people trust in themselves or some other religious idea to meet their needs instead of God, who has revealed Himself to us most clearly in Jesus, and who lives in us by the Holy Spirit.

Why?  Why would anyone put anyone or anything BEFORE God as the chief pursuit of life?  Simple:  control.  We can't control God.  We think we can control ourselves, or our families, or our bosses, or our religion.  It doesn't matter whether we can or can't, because once we have stopped seeking God first in our lives, it doesn't matter who or what we control or controls us.  The only way to live worry-free, hope-filled lives is in and through putting God first! 

Take a moment right now and ask, "Who or what is first in my life?"  If the answer's Jesus, praise God.  Life can (and will) be worry free.  If the answer is anyone or anything else, a change of leadership is in order.  Until we put Jesus first and keep Him there, until we are pursuing His Kingdom and His righteousness first, worry will always dominate our lives.  The choice is ours.

Let's pray:  Heavenly Father:  Thank You so much for being a reasonable first choice in our lives!  Fill us with the Holy Spirit that we may seek You first, and trust You to provide for our needs. This we pray in Jesus' name.  Amen.