Seek Him First (Not Second, Third, or Last)

November 1st, 2024.

When I first started reading my Bible and trying to have a morning quiet time, I didn’t really have the tools to do it well. Frankly, no one had ever equipped me to have a quiet time. I had no tools.

Truth be told, my early quiet times were an exercise in checking the box. I’d open my Bible, read some passages, and end up with little or no idea what God was trying to tell me. In fact, by 8:00 AM, when I rolled into the office, I couldn’t recall what I had read. Nothing stuck.

Then, in a men’s study I was in, some men fed into me and coached me on what to look for while reading my Bible. One of the things those men taught me was to look at the words I was reading more carefully. As a writer and author, I know how much words matter. As a reader, I had been going too fast to catch some of those words God was giving me… until I slowed down.

Fast forward to this morning. During my quiet time, God put Matthew 6:31-33 on my heart.

“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” - Matthew 6:31-33

Specifically, God gave me two words this morning…

“Seek first.”

Looking at Matthew 6:31-33, we are told to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.” When we do that, the other things we’re worried and anxious about will fade away. The Word tells us our challenges will be taken care of as long as we approach them in the right order.

Too often, though, I approach things in a different order. As a man who still likes to believe I am in control, I include God second, third, or at the end when all else fails. I set my goals, define what my day will look like, check in with my assistant, and review our numbers. Then, when I feel like I have everything locked down, I pull God into the conversation, almost as an afterthought. 

I just came back from a trip into the mountains. After days in the backcountry with mountains on the horizon every day, I realized that I have a handful of personal mountains in front of me right now… mountains that I need to include God in first… mountains that will require God to be more than just an afterthought.

In Matthew 17:20, Jesus says, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

I want my mountains to move. They’re big, and if I am going to be honest, I cannot move them on my own no matter how hard I try. Looking at Matthew 6:31-33 and 17:20, there is a clear correlation between the size of my faith and seeking God first. If my faith is real, and I truly trust God to move my mountains, I will make him my go-to… not a last-ditch alternative.

I will seek Him first.

Men, that’s my challenge for each of you today. Whatever mountain you’re facing, set aside your desire to control it. Seek God first, not last. Then, having faith in his love and ability, let Him move the mountain for you. Let’s get this in the right order as we lead our businesses, families, churches, and communities.

Encourage one another in this, celebrate God’s hand in moving our mountains, and seek Him first together.

John Gamades, Author of WAR: A Tactical Guide for Christian Men