Read Time: 13 Minutes
I’ve always been a student of productivity hacks, incessantly searching for the next habit which will save me eons of time and allow me to focus on the things I truly love (God of course being numero uno).
But regardless of each new hack, tip, tool, or app, there are some tried and true principles that will stand the test of time because they are based upon godly principles and scripture. In fact, they are the very precepts which define time, as God created it.
One promise I like to remind myself is: make time for God, and he will literally MAKE TIME for you.
I also love to sing the song by Elevation Music called Seek First…The lyrics in the chorus go “Seek first the King, and all will be added.” On repeat.
So go ahead, “Seek first…”
While we hear this a lot and tend to quote that particular scripture a lot, do we actually understand what the statement means?
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you…” (Matthew 6:33, ESV)
We’ll delve into the verse that follows Matthew 6:33 to provide additional context later, but see first what I want you to do (see what I did there) is to meditate on what it means to seek something first. Like for real, what does that actually mean?
Here is where you tell me that God needs to be our first priority. That we should care most about godly, kingdom-oriented stuff over the materialistic, digital world that we all live in. Spend more time with God and His word. And while you would be right, it is so so much deeper than that.
It’s about seeking HIM first in everything, before all else. Not only in our days, in our lives, and in our nights, but also in our conversations, in our habits, in our routines, and most importantly in our mindset (and heartset)
Go ahead, picture what I am saying. And before I blow your mind-set, I want you to pause for a minute, because I know that is a lot to ponder and grasp. I actually want you to meditate on the gravity of what this all means. But while you are doing this remember that God wants us to have an abundant life. One filled with grace and generosity, topped with cheerfulness and charity.
The sages talk about dedicating our first thought of the day to him, likening it to the ‘firstborn’ of each of our days. For our thoughts are born out of our heart.
After you have finished chewing on this piece of godly wisdom, I want you to continue to think BIG. Think about how you will seek Him First in the biggest things and biggest way. Then think about how you will seek Him First in the smallest. I promise to provide a playbook with some first principles throughout this post. And give you a lot more to think of as well. For we will return again and again to this subject. So seek first, and all will be added.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
“May God give you heaven’s dew and earth’s richness— an abundance of grain and new wine.”
Genesis 27:28 NIV
“Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”
Psalms 16:9-11 NIV
A TIME UNEXPECTED
Now…when it comes to seeking Him first daily…did you know that “first” is technically the night or evening before the morning. For the Hebrew Day begins at Night! I told you there were levels to this!
I’ll wait while that sinks in…
Plot twist, I am not going to be talking about a morning routine. Because I actually believe the day starts at night.
Disclaimer/Side note: I have never been a night owl. And I don’t pretend to play one on television…Nor is this an endorsement to become one.
In fact, the evening or night technically starts when the sun goes down. For most of the year, at least in the Central & Eastern Time Zones it sets anywhere from 5 in the winter to 9pm in the summers. And in Florida, in December, as I am writing this, the sun (unfortunately) sets around 4:45pm! Therefore, we won’t be discussing all-nighters here (sorry kids) or even staying up late (sorry adult kids). The focus here will be how we prepare or set ourselves up for a successful day with a nighttime routine that sets us up for sound sleep and successful tomorrows!
Each day is a mini cycle of life. First we were (are) in darkness, then came (comes) light. If we do not prepare ourselves in the darkness, how can we be ready for the light?
The other interesting piece of our title verse is the context in the following verse and concept of tomorrow bringing its own anxiety. While I am paraphrasing here you bear with me.
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:33-34, ESV)
The etymology of tomorrow stems from the German word morgen which means morning. Therefore, the implication in the latter part of the verse is that we should seek first BEFORE the morgen or the morning. What is the only time that comes first or before morning or tomorrow? You guessed it – the night before!
And peeling back the onion just one more layer, after we seek first, we find that “all of these things will be added.” When will they be added? Well we can only assume they will be added tomorrow or in the morning or in another tomorrow (or morgen) at some point after we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Talk about getting a head start!
Pro Tip: Anytime I am stuck, I turn to God. This is especially helpful if we are trying to be productive but can’t seem to find a breakthrough. Remember, seek first and all else will be added.
And what better time for those things to be added when we are encountering anxiety in those tomorrows! Although, perhaps we can avoid some of them with good preparation today.
Ultimately, no matter what, there is a darkness that precludes our search, an unknown. There is a search that comes before the reward. There is night that comes before the morning.
“The earth was unformed and void, darkness was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God hovered over the surface of the water. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. So there was evening, and there was morning, one day.”
B’resheet (Gen) 1:2-5 CJB
The Shema, a prayer said by Jews around the world two times each day, serves as a second witness here. It repeats several times “when you lie down, when you rise up…” Note the order!
This is all not a guarantee of perpetual light and goodness (although that day will come). We must remember that we live in a cyclical world. Each day is a cycle and each day brings darkness, then light. It is in the darkness when we need to seek first. And continue doing so again and again and again.
Speaking of cycles, and although we will dive deeper into routines – both morning and night – in later posts – here are a few good aspects that I try to include in my nightly preparation or routine (most taken from best practice):
- Write / Journal (for at least 15 minutes)
- Read (also for at least 15 minutes)
- Cook / Eat a good quality meal
- No alcohol 3 hours before bed
- Devotional or Bible Study (Spend time with God)
- Spend quality time / do something fun with your partner / family
- Plan your tomorrow (this one is a game changer)
- Get to bed in time and shut all lights off to ensure min. 7 hours of sleep (no excuses)
Each of these not only help to ‘wind down’ from the action-packed day, but they also help me to connect with myself, others and most importantly, God.
Try to incorporate 1-2 of these at a time into your nighttime routine, and I can promise that you will be much more prepared when “all these things are added.”
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:33-34, ESV)
The How to Guide for ‘Seeking First’
The Bible is full of paradoxes – if you seek them…first (haha couldn’t help myself). For those who have ears, let them hear. Just like the one presented above, another is found in Solomon’s request.
For those unaware with the whole story, I’ll provide the cliff notes. Solomon was told by God that he could request anything. He was the King and builder of God’s house. But rather than asking for money, fame, glory or other ‘worldly’ things, Solomon asked for wisdom to judge and rule the people in righteousness.
“The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.””
1 Kings 3:10-14 NIV
We should all derive a great message from this. Not only is God the best gift giver of all the time, He also rewards us for seeking Him. And He rewards us obedience as well. These blessings compound as we receive them. And the deeper we seek, the more the well of treasures grows and grows.
On top of this wealth of treasures and knowledge coming from blessings is the blessing of time. Knowledge is knowing how to get from point A to point B. Wisdom is knowledge and application how to get there fastest and most efficiently. Wisdom is knowledge compounded. So when God gives us gifts for seeking Him first, in many cases it is time invested plus additional time. How can that be?! Let that sink in…!
God can literally create time. Well in fact He did create time. We view time literally and linearly, but God knows the end from the beginning. God has all the wisdom for the short cuts and scenic routes. He knows what is best for us and our lives.
With that being said, He gave us hearts and free will. We make our own decisions. And while we might get to the same result, how and how fast or easily we get there is up to God (and our decisions). Queue the paradoxical music box. Or time portal.
Make time for God and He will MAKE TIME for you.
““Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Luke 12:27-34 NIV
“My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding— indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.”
Proverbs 2:1-8 NIV
“Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”
Luke 5:15-16 NIV
Developing a ‘Seek First Mindset”
There are definitely ‘levels’ to seeking first. But there are also different dimensions.
At the end of the day (see what I did there), it is about developing a “Seek First Mindset”.
First and foremost, there’s the time dimension. Queue the “The Twilight Zone” theme music. But there is also the mindset or “heartset” dimension. The mindset dimension is all about putting God first in our mind and seeking God first in our thoughts and actions before the million other things in our life.
In one light, we can put God first in our day (or evening). But in a world of conflicting priorities and a million distractions, we can also consciously decide to put God first and more importantly seek Him and His Kingdom ways before we seek the world and its “treasures.”
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Luke 12:32-34 NIV
Mindset is about seeking first in evening, seeking first in morning, and seeking Him first before other thoughts consume us. When we put something first, it not only allows us to focus more on it, but it shows where our priorities lie. It shows God that we care more about Him and His Kingdom than our own lives. It sows the seed of worship and love in our daily lives.
Finally seeking first isn’t just about starting the day off, better yet night off right; it’s about all the micro cycles as we have learned. We dove into the cyclical paradox of evening before day and back again not only to shed light on that fact, but also to showcase the power of hidden cycles. These cycles present us with an abundance of opportunities to seek first.
It’s about remembering to seek God and His Word first after breaks. Seek Him first after storms. Seek Him first in the calm. Seek Him first when it suits you, seek Him first when it conflicts with your day. Seek Him first in your journey. Seek Him first in your heart, mind, body and soul. Seek Him before all else…and all else will be added.
It is an infinite well. Dig deep and seek first.
“You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.”
Psalms 63:1 NIV
BONUS THOUGHT
In the Book of Mysteries written by Jonathan Cahn, there is another gem of wisdom which serves as a nice “cherry on top” of our seek first sundae. Rabbi Cahn points out that we actually seek God first even when we say our name. When we introduce ourself to one another, we always say “I am Joe” or “I am Jane Doe.” Well, God’s name is “I AM.” (Exodus 3:14)
-mic drop-
Takeaways to make a way…
-The best productivity hack is to SEEK GOD FIRST!
-Seeking first may (need to) be at a time you least expect it…
-Developing a seek first mindset is the first place to start
-Look to God’s word for examples of people that sought first
-The more you seek, the more you will find (and the more that will be added)
Further Study with your Buddy…
Go back to Part 1 of this study if you haven’t read it (or even if you have). It’s called “God’s Plan Part 1: Productivity via Perfect Peace”
For another good read on deep wisdom read “Going against the Algorithm: A Brief Examination into Wisdom & Creation”
Questions for Reflection…
What does your evening / morning routine look like?
How could you incorporate seeking God first in both routines?
What’s a good example of a time you sought God first?
Did you realize now or at the time benefits when you sought God first?
What does seeking first really look like to you?
godlyyy 
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