Southside Baptist Church JC
2026_06_21
  • Father, I Adore You

      • Romans 8:31–32NKJV

  • Bind Us Together/ Family of God
  • Good Good Father

  • First things first: organizing your priorities

    Matthew 6:33 ESV
    But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
    The Jar of Life
    The Hook
    Imagine a chemistry professor standing before a classroom. He places a large, empty glass jar on the table. Next to it, he has a pile of large rocks, a bowl of small pebbles, a cup of sand, and a pitcher of water.
    The Action
    The professor fills the jar to the brim with the large rocks. He asks the class, "Is the jar full?" The students look at it and nod. "Yes, it's full."The professor smiles. He grabs the bowl of pebbles and pours them in. He shakes the jar, and the pebbles roll into the open spaces between the big rocks. He asks again, "Is it full now?" The class catches on and says, "Probably not."Next, he takes the sand and pours it in. The sand fills every remaining microscopic crevice between the rocks and the pebbles. Finally, he pours the water in, saturating the sand.
    The Lesson
    The professor looks at his students and says, "This jar represents your life. The big rocks are your most important priorities—your faith, your family, your calling. The pebbles are other things that matter, like your job or your home. The sand and water represent the small stuff—entertainment, hobbies, and minor daily worries."Then comes the critical truth: "If you put the sand and the water into the jar first, you will never fit the big rocks in."
    The Connection to Matthew 6:33
    Many of us live stressed, chaotic lives because our jars are full of sand. We spend all our energy chasing minor details, scrolling social media, and worrying about tomorrow. Then, we wonder why we have no room left for prayer, Scripture, or family. Jesus gives us the ultimate time-management and life-management tool in Matthew 6:33. He tells us exactly what the "big rock" is. He says, “But seek first the kingdom of God...” When you put the biggest rock in the jar first, God promises to fit the rest of your life perfectly around it.
    The Right Order: Put God First
    “But seek first...”
    The Principle: The word "first" demands chronological and situational supremacy in your life. The Greek word for "first" (prōton) means first in time, place, order, and importance. It demands absolute supremacy. God does not want to be a prominent part of your crowded schedule; He demands to be the center around which your entire schedule revolves. Organizing your priorities is not about fitting God into your busy life; it is about building your life around Him.
    The Problem: We often seek God last, after exhausting our own options and energy. We live in a reactionary state, constantly put in a position where we must answer the loudest demand rather than the most important one. We leave God for the end of the day when our energy is spent, or the end of the week if we have spare time. When we offer God our leftovers, we break the first commandment and invite chaos into our hearts.
    The Practice: Give God the first moments of your day, the first portion of your income, and the first consideration in your decisions. To fix your order, you must practice the biblical concept of first-fruits. Give God the first fifteen minutes of your morning in prayer and Scripture before looking at your phone. Dedicate the first portion of your finances to His work. Intentionally consult Holy Scripture before making any major life transition.
    2. The Right Objective: Pursue God’s Purpose
    “the kingdom of God and His righteousness...”
    The Principle: Seeking the "kingdom and His righteousness" means aligning your desires with God's moral standards and sovereign rule. To seek the Kingdom means to desire God's rule, authority, and agenda to be manifested in your life and on the earth. To seek His righteousness means pursuing His moral character and standard of holiness. Your objective changes from asking, "What is best for my brand?" to "What brings maximum glory to the King?"
    The Problem: We waste energy building our own temporary kingdoms instead of God's eternal one. We exhaust ourselves building miniature kingdoms that will eventually wash away. We prioritize career advancement, social status, and personal comfort over eternal realities. We want God’s blessings, but we reject His boundaries, creating a customized faith that requires no personal sacrifice or alignment with His Word.
    The Practice: Audit your current calendar and budget to see if they reflect worldly ambition or divine purpose. Take an honest look at your bank statements and calendar logs from the past month. These two documents are the truest diagnostic tools of your spiritual health. If an outside observer looked at your time and money, would they conclude that you are building God’s eternal kingdom, or just your own temporary comfort? Adjust your commitments to match your eternal destination.
    3. The Right Outcome: Trust God’s Provision
    “and all these things will be added to you.”
    The Principle: "All these things" refers to your basic, essential daily needs like food and clothing. Jesus concludes with a breathtaking divine guarantee. The words "all these things" refer directly to the basic necessities of life—food, drink, and clothing—that the world stresses over. God is a loving Father, not a careless manager. When you take care of His business, He takes it upon Himself to take care of yours.
    The Problem: We misplace our focus by chasing the provisions rather than chasing the Provider. When our priorities are out of order, anxiety is the inevitable result. We worry because we assume the role of the ultimate provider. We hoard resources, work frantic hours, and lose sleep because we secretly believe that our survival depends entirely on our own strength rather than God’s sovereignty.
    The Practice: Shift your focus from worrying about tomorrow to obeying God today, trusting that He manages the secondary details when you manage the primary priority. Whenever a financial or situational worry grips your mind this week, use it as a trigger to pray. Say, "Lord, I am feeling anxious about this bill or this situation, but I choose right now to focus on obeying You today. I yield control of the outcome to You." Shift your energy from predicting the future to practicing obedience in the present.
    The Conclusion
    Your life is a masterpiece of limited space, and you cannot afford to let the sand of secondary things crowd out the importance of your divine calling. If you leave this place today trying to manage your own anxiety, secure your own future, and build your own kingdom, you will eventually collapse under the weight of chaos. It will invade your soul, your mind and every aspect of your life. But Jesus offers you a better plan for your life. When you intentionally slide the big rock of God's Kingdom into your heart first, the erratic pieces of your life begin to find their proper, divinely ordained places. Let go of the frantic scramble for the things of this world. Step into the peace of the Father, realign your calendar with His cross, seek His face before you seek your fortune, and watch how beautifully He provides for everything else you need.
    Questions for reflection:
    The Time & Money Test: If a stranger looked at your bank statement and your calendar from the past two weeks, what would they conclude is the number-one priority in your life?
    The Anxiety Indicator: What is the primary thing causing you stress or worry right now, and how does that anxiety reveal a specific area where you are struggling to trust God's provision?
    The First-Fruit Shift: What is one practical, concrete change you can make tomorrow morning to ensure God gets your "firsts" (your first thoughts, your first moments, or your first decisions) rather than your leftovers?

      • Matthew 6:33NKJV

  • Have Thine Own Way, Lord
Southside Baptist Church JC
2 members