As we began our brand-new sermon series, Take a Vow, over the weekend, we were reminded that the most important thing we can do is give our lives to Christ and commit to spiritual growth. In fact, to have thriving, growing relationships, especially marriages, we must commit ourselves to spiritual growth before anything else. After all, when we have deep, committed, and growing relationships with God, our relationships, especially those with our spouses, are positively impacted.
During His ministry on earth, Jesus taught about the importance of centering our lives around God and His kingdom. One of the places He taught about this was in Matthew 6, a passage of Scripture that records part of what was perhaps Jesus’ most famous sermon during His earthly ministry. He taught about many things during this sermon, including committing our lives wholly to God’s kingdom. He said in this passage of Scripture, “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other” (verse 24). In other words, we cannot be devoted to more than one person or thing. We can only give our whole devotion and commitment to one thing. Of course, as followers of Christ, our calling is to be fully committed to God. There is no room for partiality. After saying these things, Jesus continued teaching that His listeners did not need to worry because God knows what we need and He takes care of His people. After giving this call not to worry, Jesus said, "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need" (verse 33). Obeying this command from Jesus and centering our lives around Him will make all the difference in our lives. We will experience the peace and provision that come only from God as we center our lives on Him. Our relationships are also impacted, especially our relationships with our spouses, as God changes our hearts and minds to be more compassionate and more loving.
My friend, there is nothing greater that we can do with our lives than to center our lives on Him. Before we seek to grow in our relationships, including our marriages, we must start with our own relationship with God. We have to center our lives on Him, committing to growth. The truth is, the command from Jesus to “seek the kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously” is nothing new. We know this passage of Scripture. The question is, will we commit to obeying it? Let’s be people who center our entire lives around Him, holding nothing back.
Is there anything holding you back from fully centering your life around Him? Maybe you have been living with divided loyalty, only partly committing your life to Him. Whatever might be keeping you from centering your life fully on Him, confess it to God today and commit to letting go of whatever is holding you back today.
1“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2 When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3 But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
5 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! 9 Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today the food we need,
12 and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13 And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.
14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
16 “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. 17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. 18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
22 “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. 23 But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!
24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.
25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
