"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33 KJV).
I have a confession. I haven't been seeking first the kingdom of God lately. I've been seeking "all these things." That verse from Matthew 6:33 can roll off my tongue in no time, but I can't seem to get the message to penetrate my heart.
Lately, "all these things" have wrapped their burdensome weight around my mind and have bid stress to course through my veins like a toxic wash. It's not that "all these things" are bad in and of themselves. Instead, it's that I find myself needlessly focused on them, causing unwelcome foes to seep into my bones... worries, fears, questions, doubts. I feel frustrated by their intrusion. And then, I remember.
"Seek ye first." I hear those words whispered in my ear, cutting through the panic that sets in when "all these things" turn traitorous and cause my mind such unrest. "Seek ye first."
I hear myself say, "Yes, Lord. For then 'all these things' will fall into place...if I seek Your kingdom first." That remembrance floods my heart with peace. All I have to do is keep my eyes on Christ. All He asks is that I follow Him and listen for His voice. When I do, like a dissipating storm, "all these things" will shrivel from the gluttonous power I was granting them before and will no longer dominate my very being.
I find that the truths of Scripture seem to instruct me little nuggets at a time. Right now, "Seek Ye First" as well as "All These Things" are two three-word phrases that have continually rung in my heart, reminding me that there really is a godly way to prioritize living.
Lord, teach me to get this right. Teach me to seek You and Your kingdom first. Then, as "all these things" fall into their proper place, may I be quick to give You praise.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
The Teacher Learns
As I prepared for my time with children in Ukraine, the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 kept coming to mind. It was one of those times in life when I truly felt God leading me. The more I thought about it, the better it seemed. There were multiple truths to pull from the story, many of which would probably strike a chord with the children I would be seeing. The event takes place near a lake. Ukrainians live near the Black Sea. The event involves fish and bread. Ukrainians love fish and bread. The story involves a little boy. I would be working with children. Most importantly, the story beautifully portrays the compassion and power of Christ, making it the perfect segue into sharing the good news of Christ's sacrifice for mankind. It seemed to be the perfect fit.
As it turns out, it was the perfect fit for my own heart while I was in Ukraine. I pray that some of the precious kids who came to our programs were impacted by what they heard. I may never see that harvest, but I do know that Christ used that story to teach me new and deeper truths. Allow me to explain.
The story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 (which can be found in John 6 in addition to the other gospels) showcases a little boy. When a huge crowd of followers flocked to Jesus at the end of a long day, they were a hungry and exhausted group. Jesus' disciples, coming off as either annoyed or alarmed, pleaded with Jesus to send them away so they could find food and get some rest. However, Jesus had compassion on the crowd and saw that they were not only physically hungry, but spiritually and emotionally hungry as well. He told his disciples to feed them, knowing full-well that the disciples would find that suggestion outrageous and impossible.
Then entered some sweet little boy who happened to have five loaves of bread and two fish. Though that would hardly make a dent in the crowd's hunger, the boy offered the food anyway, showing a level of faith and trust that the disciples themselves lacked. It would have been easy for the little boy to think, "Why bother?" Yet, for whatever reason, he put forth the minuscule portion he had, not worrying about what real difference his puny offering would make.
As it turned out, Jesus used that small offering to feed the whole crowd, miraculously turning an insignificant offering into an abundant feast. Amazing. Jesus Christ, God incarnate, used what might have seemed useless to bless a desperate crowd.
As I taught this story five days in a row, the truth of this ministered to me. Going into the trip, I wondered if there were any way God would use me in Ukraine. After all, I didn't know the language, and thus it seemed silly for me to prepare and teach a Bible story when there were believers who knew the language who could do it more easily and perhaps more effectively. Yet, as the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 indicates, God doesn't always work in ways that are obvious. Sometimes, he chooses to use weak and strange means of shedding his grace.
Every time those doubts invaded, I would remember to forget my questions and to offer my measly bread-and-fish service to the people of Ukraine. After all, it doesn't matter who I am. It matters Whom I serve. My Lord is Jesus Christ and He holds more power than I can imagine. He can use whatever I offer him in pure and simple faith. So, though I often felt underqualified and a bit out of my comfort zone while in Ukraine, I know that I learned a valuable lesson there from the lesson I taught the children: I serve an all-powerful Savior and He works in wondrous ways.
As it turns out, it was the perfect fit for my own heart while I was in Ukraine. I pray that some of the precious kids who came to our programs were impacted by what they heard. I may never see that harvest, but I do know that Christ used that story to teach me new and deeper truths. Allow me to explain.
The story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 (which can be found in John 6 in addition to the other gospels) showcases a little boy. When a huge crowd of followers flocked to Jesus at the end of a long day, they were a hungry and exhausted group. Jesus' disciples, coming off as either annoyed or alarmed, pleaded with Jesus to send them away so they could find food and get some rest. However, Jesus had compassion on the crowd and saw that they were not only physically hungry, but spiritually and emotionally hungry as well. He told his disciples to feed them, knowing full-well that the disciples would find that suggestion outrageous and impossible.
Then entered some sweet little boy who happened to have five loaves of bread and two fish. Though that would hardly make a dent in the crowd's hunger, the boy offered the food anyway, showing a level of faith and trust that the disciples themselves lacked. It would have been easy for the little boy to think, "Why bother?" Yet, for whatever reason, he put forth the minuscule portion he had, not worrying about what real difference his puny offering would make.
As it turned out, Jesus used that small offering to feed the whole crowd, miraculously turning an insignificant offering into an abundant feast. Amazing. Jesus Christ, God incarnate, used what might have seemed useless to bless a desperate crowd.
As I taught this story five days in a row, the truth of this ministered to me. Going into the trip, I wondered if there were any way God would use me in Ukraine. After all, I didn't know the language, and thus it seemed silly for me to prepare and teach a Bible story when there were believers who knew the language who could do it more easily and perhaps more effectively. Yet, as the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 indicates, God doesn't always work in ways that are obvious. Sometimes, he chooses to use weak and strange means of shedding his grace.
Every time those doubts invaded, I would remember to forget my questions and to offer my measly bread-and-fish service to the people of Ukraine. After all, it doesn't matter who I am. It matters Whom I serve. My Lord is Jesus Christ and He holds more power than I can imagine. He can use whatever I offer him in pure and simple faith. So, though I often felt underqualified and a bit out of my comfort zone while in Ukraine, I know that I learned a valuable lesson there from the lesson I taught the children: I serve an all-powerful Savior and He works in wondrous ways.
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