#put God first

[momentsbeforemass]

Step one

I love baking. I bake whenever I can.

One of the things that baking teaches you? The order that you do things in matters.

If you think it doesn’t, try changing the order you do things in with a recipe. You’ll end up with something different.

It may only be a little off (if you’re lucky). Or it may be an inedible mess.

However it turns out, it won’t be what you were hoping for. What the recipe was designed to produce.

This idea – that the order that you do things in matters – holds true in just about every area of life.

It’s especially true in what Jesus is talking about in today’s Gospel. The order that we do things, when it comes to our relationships with others. And even our relationship with ourselves.

If we want any of those relationships to be healthy. If we want any of them to reach their fullest potential. If we want to reach our own fullest potential.

To be what we were hoping for. To be who God made us to be.

Then there’s something that has to happen first. As Jesus tells us,

“First is this: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, 

with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.

Second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Why this order?

Because the only way to have the grace, the wisdom, the strength, the patience, the love needed to have healthy relationships with others? And with ourselves?

Is if we are first grounded in our relationship with God. Who is the ultimate source – and indeed the only source – of all of those good things.

There is simply no other place to get them.

Only then, only when we first love God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind and with all our strength.

Only then will we have the grace, the wisdom, the strength, the patience to truly love our neighbor. Or ourselves.

Today’s Readings

[heartsings77]

[theinwardlight]

Friends are advised to place God, not themselves, in the center of the universe and, in all aspects of inward life and outward activity, to keep themselves open to the healing power of the Spirit of Christ.

Faith & Practice, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends

Photo of Arch Street Meeting House, Philadelphia USA

[dtalk]

Matthew 6:33 [33]But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.

[mariedagoddess1]

idc to talk to people I know most of the time they being nosey or trying to see how things can benefit them ngl I only have love for those who have love for me no we can’t choose who we related to but we can choose who we have a relationship with the way I’ve watched things play out I don’t care to have a relationship with nobody especially family blood makes you related love makes you family which I have yet to feel meaning only family I had was my mom and the one I will create 🤷🏾‍♀️

[faithfullyfound]

Let's remember to put God at the center of our lives. That is when we are overcome with His perfect peace and grace that allows us to share and live in His divine nature. Proverbs 3:6 "In all ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight." ✿

[simplyspiritualyt]

The Keys to SUCCESS! This will start your day right! Motivational Speech

[momentsbeforemass]

Three things

“Woe to you Pharisees!”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus delivers a well-deserved rebuke to the Pharisees.

For having their focus on the wrong things. When we hear what they’re focusing on (tithing mint?), it’s easy to check out for the rest of the Gospel.

After all, none of us are tithing mint or garden herbs, so we’re good. Right?

Not exactly. While we’re not focusing on the same wrong things that they were back in the day, most of us have less silly stuff that we’re focusing on. Less obvious stuff (at least to us) that serves as our wrong things.

And most of us have a lot of wrong things that we focus on. Things that we’ve told ourselves are very important. Maybe it’s stuff like jobs and careers. Or stuff like wealth and material possessions. Or stuff like fame and how we look on social media. Or whatever else it is.

Truly, it doesn’t matter what we’re focusing on (no matter how important or godly we might think it is), if what we’re focusing on is the wrong thing.

So how do we know what is the right thing? What should you and I be focusing on?

Actually, it’s three things. Jesus gives us three things that are always the right things to focus on.

Three things that are in practice inseparable. Don’t waste your time trying to do one without the others.

Justice.

The love of God.

And bearing each other’s burdens.

If you’re thinking, “that sounds like a practical application of the Great Commandment*,” then you are not far from the Kingdom of God.

* “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the greatest and first commandment. And the second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Today’s Readings

[heartsings77]

Matthew 6:33 ESV But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

[presstowardthecall]

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[lightfromthelighthouse]

Good Morning!☀️

0But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33

Jesus had been addressing the issue of worrying. He pointed out that worrying did not change the situation:

Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? Matthew 6:27

He reminded those listening that just as God fed the birds and dressed the fields with beauty out shining King Solomon at his best, he would provide for those who trusted him:

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

[30]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? Matthew 6:26,30

Instead of worrying and running ourselves ragged trying to provide for ourselves, a better choice is to seek God's kingdom and the righteousness that goes with it. God promises that if we put him and kingdom living first and foremost in our lives, he will add food, clothing, shelter and whatever else we need.

Put God and his will first. He knows how to feed the birds and clothe the fields.  He can feed and clothe us!

[danieljeddman]

Put God First by Daniel Jeddman

Put God First by Daniel Jeddman

The more we try to do things based on our own knowledge, we fail. Anyway failure is not the end of life. Yes it’s a beautiful example of learning how to be patient, observant and lenient to the words of heaven that gives life, peace and happiness. Many at times people forget entirely, that there is a higher deity above is all who we owe gratitude, love and honour. And do you even know what makes…

[walkswithmyfather]