In this episode of the Weekday Podcast, Pastor Chuck continues his discussion on Matthew 6:33, shifting from focus to priority. He explains that historically, "priority" was singular, emphasizing that Jesus calls believers to one supreme priority—seeking God's kingdom above all else. He challenges listeners to evaluate their choices, noting that priorities are reflected in how time, money, and energy are spent. Aligning life with God's kingdom doesn't mean neglecting responsibilities but approaching them differently for kingdom impact. He encourages a "priority audit" as a tool for realignment and previews the next episode, which will explore God's promise to provide for those who seek Him first.
Hey, everybody. Welcome back. This is Pastor Chuck Allen, and I'm so glad you joined me for another weekday podcast.
I want to continue where I left off the other day about the exploration of Matthew 6:33. The other day I talked about focus. Today I want to talk about priority. Now, the scripture is pretty clear in the new living. In Matthew 6:33, it says, "Seek the kingdom of God above all else and live righteously, and he'll give you everything you need."
Now, let's put this into three super simple pictures. Focus. Seek the kingdom of God. That's what we focus on. The next one's about priority. You do that above everything else, and then you have an opportunity to live righteously. How awesome is that?
So when we look at this today as we talk about priority, I learned something fascinating about the word priority recently. Historically, it was only used in the singular form because by definition, it meant the first thing. It wasn't until the 1900s, literally kind of 1960s, that we started talking about plural priorities. Sometimes I wonder if that shift has made it harder for us to truly put first things first. Because I think in my walk with Jesus, if there's anything I've learned is that when I don't keep the main thing, the main thing, my life gets out of sorts. And I bet yours does, too. When Jesus says, seek the kingdom of God above all else, he's calling us back to that singular understanding of priority. It's not about balancing multiple priorities. It's about letting one supreme priority order everything else.
I was talking to a friend who was a time management expert, and he shared something that I thought was super profound. He said, we don't actually manage time, we manage choices. Come on, that's good. Every choice we make either aligns with God's kingdom or pulls us away from it. There's no neutral ground.
I mean, think about your calendar for a minute. Our calendars don't lie. They reveal our true priorities. When we prioritize God's kingdom, it doesn't mean we ignore our responsibilities. Instead, it means we approach them differently. Did you hear that? I mean, I wanna say it one more time. When we prioritize God's kingdom, it doesn't mean we ignore our responsibilities. Rather, it means we approach them differently. Our work becomes an opportunity for kingdom impact. Our relationships become channels for God's love. Our resources become tools for his purposes.
Let me share just the super practical tip. Try doing a priority audit of, say, your last seven days. Look at where you spent your time, your money, your energy, maybe even just your thought life. Does it reflect the priority of God's kingdom? Now don't let this become an exercise in guilt. God doesn't speak to you in guilt and shame. Let it be an invitation to realignment on our next podcast, I want to explore this verse through a little different lens, which is the promise that's attached to the verse and what it means to have everything you need according to the scriptures and what we need added to our lives. But until then, remember, your priority becomes your reality. Friend, did you hear that? Your priority becomes your reality.
Thanks so much for joining me on today's weekday podcast.
