by Mike Bennett

This verse, in the heart of Jesus Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, is a call to action for Christians. Verses 21 to 32 teach that our focus must not be on physical things, like money or food or clothing. God knows what we need, and we can turn our worries over to Him.

Jesus says if our priority is on the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, God promises to provide our physical needs. We don’t need to worry.

When prioritizing, it’s easy to focus most on the first item mentioned, the “kingdom of God.” This is vitally important since God’s Kingdom is too often misunderstood and neglected today, but we must not forget that “His righteousness” goes hand in hand with the Kingdom.

God’s commandments, which define righteousness (Psalm 119:172), are the laws of the Kingdom of God. They show the way of peace. When these beneficial laws are obeyed—when we seek God’s righteousness—they lead to a blessed life and provide the solutions to all the problems infesting this sin-sick world.

See “Seek First the Kingdom of God.” For more about the Kingdom of God, see the section on the “Kingdom of God.” For more about God’s righteous commandments, see the section on the “10 Commandments.”