All of us have worries. Two of our chief worries are to have enough food and enough clothes. Jesus addressed these worries in Matthew 6:25-34. He compared us to birds and flowers. Birds, He said, don’t grow food, but they always have enough. Plants don’t make clothes, but they are always dressed beautifully, even more so than Solomon, who was perhaps the richest man who ever lived. He summed up the teaching by telling us that if God takes care of birds and plants to this magnitude, He will provide just as well and better for His human children.
Jesus tell us this: 33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Now, if you seek God’s righteousness, you won’t have to worry, because you will know that God is taking care of you each day. How does a person seek God’s righteousness? I believe there are three things we must do.
1. Read the bible. Paul reminded us that “All scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The only way you are going to know what God’s word says is to read it. Don’t get bogged down over which translation is the “right” one. Pick one that you can understand and dive in. Start with one of the gospels. I recommend John. Then, just let God lead you. Don’t try to read big chunks. Just read a few verses, or, if you have a bible that has section headings, read a section at a time, and think about it. This is how God reveals Himself in His word.
2. Pray regularly. Paul tells us to pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17). This doesn’t mean that we pray every minute of the day, but that we maintain a constant conversation with God throughout the day. We pray for situations, we pray for people, we pray for decisions. In an earlier post I pointed out these things that Jesus instructed us to pray about in His model prayer in Matthew 6: provision of needs, confession of sins, and strength to live a life that honors God. If you do this constantly during the day, you will see a difference in your life and that of your friends and family.
3. Associate with other Christ followers. The writer of Hebrews says that we should not be “forsaking our own assembling together,as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another.” (Hebrews 10:25). Jesus said that “where two or three have gathered together in my name, I am there in their midst.” (Matthew 18:20). He intended for the Christian faith to be a community where people gathered and encouraged each other, feeding off the joy and energy that each person brought to the gathering because of their faith in Jesus Christ to strengthen them. Church attendance is important, but so also is gathering with friends outside of formal worship services in a church building. You will fellowship with other Christ followers many more hours during the week that you will on Sundays. Those gatherings could very well be the most important times of encouragement and accountability you will have.
In a nutshell, how do you find the righteousness of God? Read, pray, and gather! This doesn’t guarantee that you will have everything you want, but it does mean that you’ll have everything you will ever need.
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