All of us right now have some sort of occupation. Some are students, some employees, others have their own business and others have some type of ministry work (in the church, a missions organization, etc.)
All of us have needs. Needs like how we will eat, dress ourselves, pay leases, pay for utilities, transportation, education, etc. Every human being has needs.
And the question I want to ask you today is: HOW DO WE FULFILL THESE NEEDS?
I want you to think about reality for a moment. Do not respond to this question as if you were a Christian, or as if you were from any religion. Simply respond with the truth. Respond with who you truly are, and answer according to your actual current situation. What is our actual situation? We cannot lie or deceive ourselves. THERE IS ONLY ONE REALITY.
WE ALL WORK TO SUPPLY OUR NEEDS.
Now, is this bad?
NO, NOT AT ALL!!
(And maybe you are not working, but your parents expect you to (or another family member). You know that the day will come when you will have to respond for all these needs on your own, and the most reasonable way (as they have taught us) is to WORK FOR IT.)
And we know that to work in order to supply our needs is not bad, and that 99% of people that I (Andrés) know do this. Furthermore, biblically (in terms of food) we know that it is the same. I´m refering to when Adam sinned God told him that he would now have to work in order to eat.
But I don't conform to this. I do not agree that I have to live my entire life (or a big part of it) working and looking for something that generates all the money I need to supply these needs. And I agree even less when something that I am doing is not what I want to occupy my time with, or simply I do not like it.
But I found something interesting, something I want to share with you, and something that is true. For a certain time I came to experiment with it (or at least tried to experiment!) and it worked.
But before this, I want to ask you another question: What is the thing that you worry about the must, or rush around the most for during one day? Is it for satisfying one of these needs? It probably is. But let me ask you: don't you think that it has been enough? Don't you believe that to continue rushing around and having to do things that you don't want to do every day in order to supply yourself these needs is quite tiring?
There is another way, and in order to discover it I want us to read the next few verses: Matthew 6:25-34
WE DON'T HAVE TO KEEP WORRYING OURSELVES!!!!
If we look at verse 33 we find the solution to all of this.
“BUT SEEK FIRST HIS KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU AS WELL.”
I know that probably many of us have read this verse before, but I also know that every time we read something our eyes focus on certain parts and we read only the phrase “given to you as well”. But no, that is not all of the verse. This is a promise that comes with a condition. In order to fulfill the condition we end up working and worrying ourselves so that “all these things will be given to (us) as well” (in other words, gifted). We have to do what the verse asks us. And what is it that is asks us?
SEEK FIRST HIS KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS
So of course, here everything makes more sense. But do not get surprised. I know that you are probably asking right now: What does it mean to seek His kingdom and His righteousness?
Well let's remember quickly when Jesus came; the scriptures say in Matthew 4:17 that when Jesus started his ministry he preached saying: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near”. And if we read a little bit further in verse 23, we find that the first thing Jesus taught was the GOOD NEWS OF THE KINGDOM. And if you look clearly at the life of Jesus, you will find that during all of his ministry he always taught about the GOOD NEWS OF THE KINGDOM, and he made God's dream known. He also taught that God was searching throughout all of humanity to have a family and that it was possible to be part of God's family by means of his righteousness, and God's righteousness is named Jesus.
Now, the good news of the Kingdom (or God's kingdom) doesn't have to do with ONLY the first teaching I uploaded to this blog (God's dream and the history of man), but this is something huge that requires our attention. Something that requires us to seek (like the verse says); and for this same reason, I cannot talk about the good news of the Kingdom in this teaching. But if you are interested and want to talk, let me know (andresvargas007@hotmail.com or vargasfoucher@gmail.com).
So, now that we know what the kingdom of God and his righteousness are, I ask you these questions:
Have you ever searched for the kingdom of God and his righteousness? How much time do you spend each day searching for the kingdom of God and his righteousness (having in mind that it doesn't mean praying, or fasting, or congregating, or even less doing “good things”)? How much time do you spend each day searching to know God and Jesus better? In other words, knowing them personally, like you come to know any other person.Now that you know what it is really like, what are you going to do?
Are you going to search for the kingdom of God and His righteousness so that all the needs are taken care of, or “given to you as well”?
So, now that this message has more structure, I want to declare that I am not saying that you should not work (or study). What I want to say is that if you search for God (and his kingdom and righteousness) everything will come to you for free (added). And of course, you have to be busy (so that things do not become unclear and we do not fall into temptation), but the difference will be that now what you do …
1) You will like.
2) You will not depend on this to survive.
3) You will please God
4) You will be able to bless other with this.
So to conclude:
1) You do not have to work anymore to be able to fulfill your needs (food, clothing, home, etc.)
2) Everything you need can come to you added (gifted) if you simply search for the kingdom of God and his righteousness. (Anyone interested in searching for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, write us)
3) When you are doing this (seeking God's kingdom and his righteousness) and you receive for free what you need, ask God: What do you want me to do? And then DO IT. Enjoy it and do not worry about anything else.
Blessings.
By Andrés Vargas
Translated by Jessica FoucherSight (believe in order to see)
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