If you’ve ever had the joy of watching little boys play Little League baseball, you know what a  challenge it is for the coaches to achieve one thing. It’s not good batting, although that is important. It’s not good field work, although that is important. No, for little ballplayers in their first years in uniform, the coaches struggle with one thing: Getting them to pay attention! I once watched my four-year old grandson wander left field with his glove on his head and then sit for the rest of the inning and play in the dirt. God bless those patient coaches!

God must sometimes feel like a frustrated coach trying to get us to pay attention. In our Scripture today, Jesus tried to home in on the essentials of disciple life. He contended that if you sought the Kingdom of God first above anything else, everything you need will be given to you. 

Luke 12 (Common English Bible)

²⁹ Don’t chase after what you will eat and what you will drink. Stop worrying. ³⁰ All the nations of the world long for these things. Your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ Instead, desire his kingdom and these things will be given to you as well.

³² “Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights in giving you the kingdom.

This passage follows a series of “attitude adjustments” that Jesus called for as he was trying to define what being his follower should look like. The verses immediately preceding this focused on not worrying. His message was that we don’t have to seek and hold onto the “treasures” of this world. God offers the treasures of heaven, which are everlasting and real. When we shift our attention to God’s kingdom on earth, everything we need will be given to us. Jesus exemplified this with his life. He never sought after physical comfort or things and freely let go of any worldly pursuits by simply putting his trust in his Father when he let go of his life on the cross.

Jesus taught that if your god was “mammon” i.e. material things, then your life will be consumed with worry over your physical needs. He invited his followers to replace worry with a focus on God’ kingdom and its goodness. Putting God’s kingdom first allows us to seek the heavenly treasure and divine provision that God offers, which leads us to the fulfillment of God’s highest purpose for humanity: fellowship with God in the kingdom.

I think our hymn “Seek Ye First” says it well. I hope this will be an “ear worm” for you for the rest of the day! 

“Seek ye first the Kingdom of God
And His righteousness
And all these things shall be added unto you
Hallelu, Hallelujah!” (United Methodist Hymnal, page 405)

How will you seek God first today? What needs to be set aside to do this? Pay attention, people! God is calling.

All These Things Will Be Added by Bonnie Bennett