What's First?

And none of the things that many times pile on our calendars, none of that stuff is bad because what are the things that get fit on our calendars? Usually, it's work. It it's family. It's church. Good places, important things, important people but quietly and it doesn't need our permission to do so but quietly, urgency begins to call the shots. And what is urgent gets what? It gets our attention. The first thing we reach for in the morning so often is not stillness and it's not always prayer. [00:03:49] (31 seconds)  #UrgencyStealsAttention

And when we hear Jesus in Matthew chapter six, he is inviting us to something different. He's inviting us to put what he calls what? The kingdom and righteousness. He's inviting us to let that take the place in our lives where it was always intended to be. And where is that? It's first. First. Jesus wants to be first in our lives. And that's because whatever is at the center of our lives, it eventually starts arranging or at times rearranging everything else. [00:09:01] (30 seconds)  #KingdomAndRighteousnessFirst

And we're gonna pay attention to what happens when first things are really first. It's not that life gets easier. Don't hear what I'm not saying this morning. It's that life gets ordered. It gets ordered. And the priorities that are supposed to be in place that Jesus has instilled from what God intended. And scripture has always named the things that we experience when life gets out of order. And again, what are they? Restless nights, minds that race, and the sense that if we don't stay alert, that what? That something or something else will begin to fall apart. [00:10:15] (34 seconds)  #OrderOverEase

He saw around him what worry did to people. It doesn't just make us nervous. It rearranges everything that matters. It has a way of of of like minimizing our world down to strictly survival. When we start thinking about what Jesus says about food, about clothes, about bills, about all this sort of stuff, then that's all we see. That's that takes up everything. And it's not because those things don't matter. Jesus will tell us that they do matter but it's because those good things have a way of being turned into ultimate things. [00:21:52] (32 seconds)  #WorryRearrangesLife

And there's a difference here I wanna point out to you from effort and control. You know what effort says? Effort says, I will take care of everything that is right here in front of me. And that's good because we need to work on the things that God places right in front of us. We need to work on taking care of our families. We need to work on providing. If you have if you have a job, you need to work at your job. Whatever is right in front of you. But so often where we get in trouble is we stray past effort and what do we worry about? Control. Will this slip out of my hands? Will this be something that that that that tomorrow is gonna wreck my life? I know I'm meddling there because that's where I'm at with this stuff. Right? [00:26:16] (41 seconds)  #EffortNotControl

``And here's a line that I think kinda will tie this whole thing together, at least it does in my head. When our anxiety and our worry becomes the center of our lives, then everything begins feeling urgent. But if we follow out the line of Jesus here in Matthew chapter six verse 33, when God's kingdom comes first, everything else finds its place. [00:32:24] (22 seconds)  #KingdomFirst

You see, Jesus knows that those needs we have in life, they don't disappear. Your needs in this life don't disappear. He's not telling us you'll never have cause to worry again. He's just promising that it doesn't have to take control. And with first things first, everything else finds its place. [00:35:07] (19 seconds)  #NeedsDontControl

When tomorrow comes, you can very well bet that when you get up and you ask for it, you will have the grace for whatever comes your way tomorrow. You don't have to worry about it today. You don't have to allow tomorrow to rob you of what Jesus has for your life today. Anxiety is so exhausting because it forces us to carry tomorrow's load with today's strength. [00:36:24] (24 seconds)  #GraceForTomorrow