But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33
Our lives have become so busy. We have daily obligations, unexpected matters that arise, things we need to do for others, and things we have to do for ourselves, and even occasionally something we might want to do for ourselves to enjoy. We are truly a people who have spread themselves thin. One thing that is quick to get put on hold in life is the time we dedicate to seeking first the things of God (Matt 6:33). I often find myself in a run trying to satisfy all the above, as we all do.
Putting God first is key to solving this and ultimately realizing a sense of accomplishment. 1 Corinthians 15:58 says, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord”. Of all the things we seek to do, what is important? What will matter in eternity? So often we put emphasis on things that do not matter in the end whether they are ever accomplished or not, but seeking to please God matters eternally.
Taking care of and doing good for all our fellow man should also be a priority (Gal 6:10). It is a fact we all rely on those around us, and they rely on us as well. The problem here is it can quickly become too much! Stress and anxiety are very real problems. Again I would look to the Bible and see how we are shown to handle this (Luke 10:40-42). In this text Martha was completely stressed. Jesus instructed her to focus on what mattered most, the needful thing. Do those things need to be done, yes, but never at the cost of giving time to God. Also, never at the cost of our own wellbeing. In our text here Martha was so stressed it was visible. We have to remember we are only human and can only do what we can do!
Lastly, it is not wrong to do things for ourselves. We should cast our cares upon Him (2 Pet 5:7) and take care of ourselves physically (Eph 5:29). This could include rest or an activity we enjoy to give us peace of mind. We also need to live each day one day at a time and make the most of our time (Matt 6:34). Sometimes we might just have to let some things go to gain our ultimate goal (Philippians 3:8).
By Jason Barger