Christ Alone

I've been thinking about what it means to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.(Matt. 6:33) What does it mean for Jesus to be truly first in our lives; what does this look like?

Oswald Chambers wrote it this way in describing Paul, "he never again allowed anything to attract and hold the attention of his mind and soul except the face of Jesus Christ." Do we love Jesus like this? Does He dominate our affections to the exclusion of every other passion in our
lives?

The parable of the sower compares the types of soil with the condition of our hearts. One soil filled with thorns was described by Jesus as the heart of people who hear the word but then the "worries and riches and pleasures of this life" cause it to not bear fruit to maturity. Doesn't that sound like a heart that has not yet decided on Jesus' supremacy? Seeking first His kingdom, not letting other cares crowd our hearts --this is what true discipleship is made of.

Is there anything in your life right now that God is asking you to walk away from that causes you more pain than it should? When you contemplate putting Jesus first is there something that always makes you shrink back from such an abandonment of surrender? Pray about that thing. Take it to the Lord until there is nothing you have as your treasure except Jesus alone.

It is not enough that we know these truths, but for them to be life and freedom to us we must put them into practice. I examine my own heart and I pray "Lord, remove the thorns and change my heart into a "good soil" heart. Will you pray this prayer with me? Will you pray His
kingdom come, His will be done in my life as it is in heaven?