What would be your views on the following comparative statements? Having more knowledge would make us become less worried. Having less knowledge would make us become more worried. When I was a little boy, I do not recall having difficulty falling asleep at night. Once I put my head on the pillow, I usually fell asleep within a few minutes. Now, as an adult, I find that I sometimes struggle to go to sleep due to the problems I have learned about. That is why I would agree that being ignorant in a way can help us have a better sleep. At the same time, I would be anxious if I do not have accurate information, particularly when operating devices related to our safety. In the same manner, I can have peace of mind if I receive proper instructions about those machines. Having a better understanding of the things that we deal with can help us feel at ease. What I am saying here is that we, as human beings, worry a lot regardless of how much or less we know.

One interesting fact I have studied from the Bible is that God is not shy about this subject. Some people have researched how many times God commanded His people not to worry, be fearful, or be anxious in this Holy Scripture. According to them, this type of God’s commandment is repeated more than 360 times. In other words, whether we admit it or not, we do worry about various issues almost every day, regardless of the level of our education.

In our Gospel for today, Jesus mentioned the term “worry” four times and called His listeners to stop worrying in the Sermon on the Mount. Almost at the end of His message, Jesus took this topic one step further and provided them with His divine solution. I will read this statement to you one more time: “But seek first God’s [His] kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). Today, Jesus encourages His current audience in this sanctuary or via Zoom to seek first the Kingdom and Righteousness of God. In other words, I would interpret this phrase as the Glory of God. Jesus also promises that our everyday needs will be met by the Lord if we follow this godly path.
This morning, I want us to reflect on Christ’s instruction of seeking God’s Will first, explore what it means to us in this present time and situation we are in, and apply these lessons to our faith journey.
Firstly, we need to remember that seeking God’s kingdom first is not a matter of order. In our Gospel text for today, Jesus begins by addressing some of our life issues. It seems that we are advised not to worry about what to eat, drink, and wear in life. Instead, it appears that we are encouraged to prioritize spiritual matters over physical desires. The distinction between spiritual and worldly concerns might suggest a separation. According to this misconception, only activities like reading the Bible, praying to God, attending church services, loving the Lord and His people, and so on can be categorized as divine events. On the other hand, tasks like preparing meals, drinking enough water, wearing suitable clothes and shoes, performing our jobs or duties, and more, can be considered as worldly pursuits. It is crucial to understand that there is no such distinction in the eyes of God.

The Apostle Paul said, “[So] whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Eating, drinking, dressing, and working are all necessary actions that God has designed for us. The main emphasis of seeking God’s kingdom first is to fulfill whatever duties we have been entrusted with for the glory of God. Although there are no divisions between these two types of activities, there exists an underlying focus. This focus refers to our spiritual mindset – whether our intentions are genuinely aligned with God’s purposes during these events or if they are self-centered.
Consider the example of money. Money can effectively serve the Lord, but its purpose depends on how we use it. We can earn money solely for ourselves, or we can make money for the sake of God’s Kingdom, using it to love the Lord and love our neighbour as we love ourselves. Please understand this dual purpose. God desires us to love ourselves; in other words, God wants to use money for the benefit of our loved ones and ourselves. Simultaneously, God wants us to utilize money to express love to others.

The inner workings of our spirits are known only to God. He alone perceives our true intentions. Seeking God’s kingdom first means fulfilling our tasks with the intention of glorifying God. As we do this, the Lord will position us in a place where we can more effectively employ our God-given talents and gifts for His Kingdom.

Secondly, we need to remember that seeking God’s Righteousness should be done appropriately. In our Old Testament reading for today, we find a compelling example of this. Jacob, the second son of Isaac and Rebekah, was born following his older twin brother Esau. Early on, Jacob took the blessing that was meant for his older brother, Esau, in a wrongful manner. When he discovered this, Jacob had to leave his homeland. During his journey, he met Rachel, his future wife, and worked diligently to gain her hand in marriage from her father Laban. Jacob also desired to have more flocks, so he deceived his father-in-law and acquired many possessions from him. Eventually, Jacob obtained nearly everything he sought, including, popularity, pleasure, and possessions.
However, one day God told Jacob to return to his homeland. Jacob promptly planned, prepared, and followed this divine direction. Yet, when he reached the Jabbok River, he was unable to cross it, despite sending all he had ahead of time to resolve the issue he had with his brother, Esau. Jacob’s anxiety coming from his sinful and self-centered life and his fear of the power of death crushed over him. Jacob found himself alone and unable to sleep. During this challenging moment, he encountered an angel of God and wrestled with him until daybreak. Although God’s angel wanted to depart, Jacob firmly held onto him, desperately seeking God’s blessing over everything he had enjoyed. Jacob cried out to God, saying, “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (Genesis 32:26).

Finally, Jacob realized that he was meant to seek first God’s leading in his spiritual journey. At that moment, God changed his name from “Jacob,” meaning “deceiver,” to “Israel” one “who has the power with God.” After this, Jacob became deeply interested in understanding God’s attributes and started a journey of learning more about God. He became a new creation and received a new identity in God throughout this extended and genuine time with the Lord.

Once again, I want to emphasize that I am not saying that material resources, happiness, or fame are not God’s blessings. All these favorable outcomes are from the Lord, our Creator. God is the One who gives us real power, wisdom, and ability to fulfill our God-given dreams and visions. Seeking first God’s Kingdom in this context introduces the two realms in life. According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). We, as human beings, have two areas of satisfaction: one designed for the flesh and the other for the spirit. We need to eat, drink, and wear in life to be satisfied. At the same time, as spiritual beings, we need to be nourished through the Word of God, engage in conversation with God through prayer, and be guided in the right directions by the Holy Spirit.

Like Jacob, we need to ask the Triune Lord for His supernatural presence, protection, and provision in our daily journey of faith. When we prioritize filling the designated area in our hearts with these spiritual blessings, we can experience true happiness and sacred satisfaction in life.
Thirdly, we need to remember that seeking God’s Glory first can be achieved through Christ and will help us discover our holy identity in God. In our epistle for today, the Apostle Paul discusses spiritual blessings in Christ. God chose us as His people “in Christ before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4). He adopted us as His “legal heirs through Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:5). We possess “redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our offences, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7). God also revealed to us “the mystery of His will” (Ephesians 1:8). These are some of the identifiers of who we become in Christ when we repent of our sins and place our trust in Him.

In our Gospel for today, we can also uncover our uniqueness in God. Jesus employs two illustrations – birds in the sky and flowers in the wilderness – to help us grasp our immense value in His sight. According to bird researchers, there are around ten thousand different species, with a global bird population ranging from fifty billion to four hundred billion. Have we ever pondered how much effort and food it would require to care for such a vast number of birds on our own? Similarly, scientists estimate nearly four hundred thousand flowering plant species on earth. These different plants need various environmental conditions. Have we ever also imagined how many gardeners and greenhouses are needed to tend to the diverse and splendid flowers across the world?

Our Heavenly Father feeds the birds and clothes the flowers without employing workers. If God looks after these temporary creations, how much more does He care for us? We are created in God’s image, and our Lord gave His one and only Son for all of us. Through Him, we are destined for eternal life. We hold more value and significance than any of God’s creatures. We are God’s masterpiece. This is our true identity!

When we come to realize the nature of our Creator, and our place in God, we can overcome any worrisome situation. Are we anxious about any challenging circumstances we currently face? If so, God encourages us to “look at the birds on the air” (Matthew 6:26) and “see how the flowers of the field grow” (Matthew 6:28). The verbs “look” and “see” in this passage indicate fixing our gaze on the Mighty and Merciful God beyond His creations. Instead of worrying, both you and I need to place our trust first in the presence, protection, and provision of God in our spiritual journey.
To conclude, I would like to share an insightful old fable about a clock. This clock stood in the corner of a room, tirelessly ticking away the hours… Overwhelmed, the clock felt burdened… But the reassuring thought crossed the clock’s mind: “It’s only a tick at a time.”

This morning, Jesus reminds us, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34). Worry cannot solve our future. We must live our lives one day at a time. As we constantly seek God’s Kingdom first – making God truly our Lord – He will care for us and our loved ones in whatever challenges we face today. We also need to leave tomorrow in God’s hands.
Some time ago, an institution conducted a study with a group of people who had worried, and then what they had been worrying about was examined. One interesting observation that the researchers noticed was that ninety percent of the worries were tied to the future, most of which never materialized. Even many of the ten percent of current anxious thoughts would not happen either. Very few of them were realistic, and we often have little control over those situations or no authority over them. Tomorrow belongs to our Lord. We may be limited in our ability to help with the situations our loved ones and we will encounter in the coming days, as we might be unavailable tomorrow. However, God will be ever present with our loved ones and us at all times and in any place.

The choice is ours. We can choose to borrow trouble from tomorrow and live life as if God is not there. Alternatively, we can trust Him and seek Him first with all our hearts. Friends, when we prioritize seeking God’s will first, He will do more for us than we can even imagine. God will provide for and protect our loved ones and us better than we can on our own. Since we serve the Creator God, the Resurrected Christ, and the Wonderful Spiritual Counsellor, we can continuously move forward in bright directions in the coming days and face tomorrow with confidence and courage.

* In this message, I have been inspired by various thoughts from sermons based on the following texts: Genesis 32:22-30; Matthew 6:25-34; Ephesians 1:3-10.