“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” — Matthew 6:33
Advent presses on our priorities. It reveals how easily we chase what doesn’t matter — how subtly hurry, striving, and comparison creep in and shape our days. We fill our calendars, our carts, and our minds with things that promise peace but never deliver.
Jesus’ words in Matthew 6 cut through the noise: “Seek first the kingdom of God.” Not second. Not when it’s convenient. Not after everything else is in place. First.
This is not a call to guilt; it is an invitation to grace. When God reorders our priorities, He doesn’t take from us — He frees us. He loosens the grip of lesser loves so our hands can open to what lasts. He shifts our gaze from what is urgent to what is ultimate.
Advent is a season of reorientation. It reminds us that the kingdom of God is not an accessory to our lives; it is the center. Everything else finds its proper place when Christ is first. So today, pause and ask: What has been first in my heart lately? What would it look like to let Jesus reorder that — not by force, but by love?
Practice: Write down three priorities that have been consuming your energy. Then, prayerfully ask: “Lord, how do these align with Your kingdom?” Release what doesn’t belong.
Prayer: Lord, reorder what I love so that my heart is aligned with Yours. Free me from the tyranny of lesser things. Teach me to seek Your kingdom first — not as an obligation, but as the overflow of trust and love. Amen.
When God Came Near 