Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
In our series on covenantal fatherhood, I have shared examples from my own experience of being raised by a father whose life taught me to honor the Lord by the way we live. We have considered the importance of 1) living the lessons you teach, 2) investing time in your children, and 3) worshipping as a family. In this post I will share how my father’s life taught me the importance of seeking first God’s kingdom.
As I am sure you have anticipated, the key verse in this regard is Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” While the command is simple enough, wisdom is needed to live accordingly. Leading up to this summary command, Jesus addressed priorities of the heart. Storing up treasures on earth is a fool’s errand for corruption will surely occur (6:19). The only safe investment is to store up treasure in heaven (6:20). Where we store our treasure reveals our heart. It telegraphs what we deem important (6:21). Laying up treasure in heaven is an important aspect of seeking first God’s kingdom. Seeking first His kingdom also relieves us of the anxieties of this life (6:25-32) for God will surely provide (6:23).
Another aspect of seeking first God’s kingdom is using His gifts to serve others (1 Pet 4:10). How we use the talents God has bestowed also reveals our heart. Do we use God’s gifts in pursuit of His Kingdom and righteousness or for self-fulfillment? All too often, we use these gifts and talents in a manner that is self-serving. We use them to make a name for ourselves for we covet the applause of men. However, God has given us our talents and abilities to glorify Him. Our first consideration for using these gifts should be His glory. Our highest priority and ultimate goal should be to serve our Lordfirst and foremost. Throughout Scripture, we find this is most often realized by serving others. It all comes back to glorifying God.
God has given us our talents and abilities to glorify Him. Our first consideration for using these gifts should be His glory
The world has no concept of what is truly important. They have set their own standards of success. But according to Scripture, all they do is for naught. In the end, the only thing that will remain is the Kingdom of God. Therefore, all that truly matters is whether we have spent our lives in pursuit of that Kingdom. The Psalmist understood this when he said, “I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked” (Psalm 84:10b). This either means the psalmist would rather be the humblest servant in the Temple than to have a great place among the wicked or he would rather get no further than the door of God’s house than to have a permanent place of acceptance and participation with the world. Both interpretations are truths well established in Scripture. Either way, it provides a lesson desperately needed by the church in America. Too many professing Christians are overly anxious to be accepted by the world. There is no advantage to gaining the whole world if we lose our own soul in the process (Mark 8:36).
These are lessons I have learned from my father’s example. Both of my parents were very talented in their fields and the world desired their abilities. Before my father became a pastor, both of my parents turned down very lucrative jobs and careers. My mother was an award-winning beautician. She was offered a position as a hair stylist for a Hollywood movie studio at three times her normal salary. My father was a talented musician. As a young man he had a career in rock n’ roll. He came close to signing with a major record label. Later, he worked in the RV service industry. He was named “Service Man of the Year” for the entire southwest region by a national RV magazine. After the article was published, he was offered a job as service manager for a large service center in California. The starting pay would have been four times his then current salary. He also had several offers from investors to open a service center of his own.
As a child, I was stunned when my parents turned down those offers. While others may have been able to take advantage of those offers and still seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness, my father could not. At that time, he was a bi-vocational minister of the Gospel. He had a higher calling to which he must attend. The world thinks, “What could be better than being rich and famous?” My father knew the answer. It is pleasing the God who made us, sustains us, and redeemed us. When we stand before God, a simple “well done thou good and faithful servant” will mean more than the praise of men and all the wealth of the world.
I learned from my father that the first consideration in how we use the talents God has given us is not how they might benefit us. We are stewards. We are here for God’s good pleasure. We exist for His glory, not our own. We have been given life to seek His kingdom and pursue His righteousness.
In our next post I will share how my father’s life taught me to be the servant of all.
