But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33
Some people seem to read this verse from Matthew backward, as though spiritually dyslexic: “Add all these things to your life, and if you have any leftover time, seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness.”
But blessed are those who read it as Jesus intended.
Wanamaker Department Stores in the Northeast was started by nineteenth-century businessman John Wanamaker, who was active in Christian causes. He served as the president of the world’s largest Sunday school, spoke widely, and advised such evangelical leaders as D. L. Moody. To top it off, he was named Postmaster General of the United States. When someone asked him how he could hold all those positions at once, he replied, “Early in life I read, ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.’ The Sunday school is my business, and the rest are the things.”
As one missionary put it, “If you take care of the things that are important to God, He will take care of the things that are important to you.”
Morgan, R. J. (2000). From this verse: 365 scriptures that changed the world (electronic ed.). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
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