These Things

We continue examining the verse from which we take our name:

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Mt. 6:33

This verse is found in those teachings from the Sermon on the Mount. In this section, Jesus is urging his followers to adopt a different priority from that of the world and to recognize that their Heavenly Father cares for them. In context, then, v. 30-33:

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

By 'all these things,' Christ means all the things we need, such as food, drink, and clothing. We can dedicate ourselves to Love, having confidence that God will give us all we need. And there's the rub for many of us: what we need. We need so little, you see, but we want so much. It's the wanting that gets us into trouble, isn't it!

Wanting nice things is certainly not sinful, nor is working hard to acquire them. It's not un-Christian to want a reliable car of recent make or a house that is spacious and comfortable. Why wouldn't we appreciate those things which add convenience and beauty to our lives?

The trick is balancing our desire for material possessions against our desire to serve God. We needn't become hermits, living in a cave and existing on a diet of insects, nor must we forego the ordinary conveniences of modern life - electric lights or air conditioning or a computer or car.

What we must not do, though, is allow those desires to overshadow our commitment to God. If we are blessed financially, commitment to Love demands that we share our resources with those who are less fortunate. Often people feel afraid to be generous in their giving to feed the hungry or clothe the needy, worrying that their generous impulses might wreak havoc on their budget.

Jesus tells us that we needn't worry. God will see to it that that we have what is needed, so we can be generous knowing that we will not be left without enough for ourselves. Earlier in the Sermon, though, Jesus speaks specifically about giving alms to the needy, urging his followers to do so privately. Making the big splash, he teaches us, carries its own reward, but God will reward those who practice their giving in secret. (Mt. 6:1-4)

When we are generous to those in need, we become agents of God's good will. We become a means through which God can bless others. We become God's faithful servant, working to see that God's children are fed and housed and clothed and healed. We become a channel through which God's love can flow not only through us but to us as well.

When we commit to Love, opening our hearts to the compassionate love of Creator, we can follow the generous impulses which come with confidence. God sees into each heart, recognizing the face of Christ mirrored there. As we unite not only our hearts to God's love but our hands to God's work of blessing, we can trust that God will care for our needs even better than we could hope to do.

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