"But seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well." (Matthew 6:33) These
words of Jesus follow his admonition to "be not anxious" about the things that
we need or think we need. He knew that the source of everything could produce anything
and that we have direct access to that source. He also understood that we often get so
involved in material things—the house, the job, money, possessions and
power—that we forget that there is a spiritual kingdom to seek.
To seek
"his kingdom," it is not necessary to withdraw from the world, nor to deny
oneself the good things that exist in the world. To think that we must live on bare
necessities or what little good we are able to find for ourselves is to limit our faith in
God’s goodness and power at work in the universe as well as in our lives. God is
rich, and nothing is too good for God’s children. The Infinite provides, not bare
necessities, but everything. We are created to have full and fulfilling lives, to be rich
in body, mind and spirit. Jesus told us, "Fear not, little flock, for it is your
Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom," (Luke 12:32) and he said the
kingdom is "at hand" and within. Sometimes we need to be reminded to
stop—the worry, fear, complaints, and manipulations of people and events—so that
we change the direction of our thought.
Once there was an iceman
working in an icehouse. All day long he cut the ice into large pieces weighing many pounds
and stacked them in the icehouse to be sold. One day as he worked, he reached in his
pocket for his watch to see what time it was.
"My watch! Where’s
my watch?, he mumbled aloud. As he looked among the shimmering blocks of ice he became
more and more agitated. "It’s lost. And an expensive watch it was. How long I
worked to pay for it. I’ll never have another like that."
A young boy came along to
buy ice for his mother. He watched the iceman as he moved from stack to stack looking
frantic. The boy heard the conversation the man was having with himself. "Mister? Let
me see if I can find your watch."
"Find my watch? I
can’t find it and you certainly can’t either!"
"Please, mister. Let me
try. You go out and wait while I look." The man shrugged, shook his head and with
hopelessness on his face and in his step, shuffled out of the icehouse.
"He’ll never find
it. Lost for good this time, it is." In circles he walked as he continued his
conversation. "It might not even be in there. Maybe it went out on a piece that was
sold."
"Hey mister!" It
was the boy. Was there something in his hand? "Mister, I found your watch!"
"How could you? It was
impossible."
"No it wasn’t.
Honest. All I had to do was sit down and listen. Tick...tick...tick... Mister, I heard
it."
All of us
have our own watches we’re seeking—something we need, value or desire.
Tick...tick...tick... Can you hear it? But to hear it we need to stop, to be still, and it
reveals itself to us. Jesus knew how easy it is for us to get turned around, to become so
enchanted by appearances that we forget not only the source of our good, but also our part
in bringing it from potential to experience. The world tries to get from man; the perfect
way is to receive from God. The kingdom we need to seek is the spiritual consciousness of
Divine Mind and, most importantly, the product of Mind which is ideas. Instead of
rummaging frantically in the world for what we desire, we need to become still and
receptive to divine possibilities first, and then to the practical realization of those
possibilities.
Seek first the kingdom, and
all other things will be added; not simply enough to get by, but all things necessary and
desirable for a full life in spirit, soul and body. Divine love is infinite, and infinite
love gives nothing less than all. To seek from Divine Love everything, the best of
everything, the most of everything, is to live in the kingdom in which all is found. When
you do not have what you need or want, remember that Spirit can provide. Take God at His
word and believe with all the power of your mind and soul that God will do what love will
do, because God is love.
Work to build a sure
awareness of the world of Spirit, its invisible power and infinite possibilities for you.
As you build this consciousness, you draw to yourself everything necessary for your needs
to be met richly and your desires fulfilled. All things begin first in mind, and then they
come into expression. This is a secret to your co-creative power with God. Go to God
first–for the stuff your dreams are made of. Then you do what you are guided to do in
the world in order to realize your needs, first in mind and then in manifestation.
"Do not be anxious
about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you
shall put on." (Matthew 6:25) Live your life according to the very highest light that
is within you. Use well the power that is yours. Depend on the infinite Source for
everything and you shall have it. You need not be anxious about anything because God is
greater than anything that can happen. Things go awry only when we forget the Truth of
existence: God is the universe and everything in it. It is the result of creative power
and that creative power lives in you. There is nothing in this world that God’s
spirit in you cannot change for the better. The best is yet to be; the door of opportunity
will open, if we stop and listen.