But Seek First His Kingdom: Advice After A Year of College.
Life on the Hill: Bison Blog
Matthew 6:33a
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness”
Beginning my second year in college, I’ve re-examined some things.
It seems like one of the best things you can learn early on at college is not about how to write well, or how to use a specific formula, or anything like that. We don’t know what the next year, week, or day is going to look like. We don’t know where we will be, how we will be, or, sometimes, who we will be. Who will be our friends? What will we study? What are we supposed to do? Something that is vital for us college students to understand quickly is that college is a period of rapid changes which don’t always make sense.
One of the first examples of this happens with Welcome Week. My roommate and I have discussed many times who we thought we were going to be close to our first week. For the most part it’s these people which we hardly speak to any more, but in the same way we also marvel, truly in awe, as we look at the fantastic friends we do have, what God has done in our lives, and what He has done in the lives around us.
Another thing which changes is our work load. Please don’t get caught up with stress because of homework. Do your homework, but don’t freak out. This paper that you’re working on? It will never be as bad as you make it out for yourself. Sometimes it will be tough, especially if you’re like me and make the mistake of waiting until the last minute, but it’s all doable.
Odds are this year will surprise you. Even if you’re a Freshman in college — the atmosphere of college life lends itself to life-changing moments no matter your age or station. For as much missed opportunity as there is in life, there is just as much opportunity to do good, to love your neighbor as yourself, to build relationships that not only bless yourself but blesses everybody around you.
Amidst all of these changes, it is of greater importance to recognize what unites all of these areas in your life: God. Now before you turn me off, change the channel, or go to bed, hear me out. Faith is not an area of your life, it isn’t Sunday mornings, or Wednesday nights, or every other Thursday. What you believe determines how you act. If you believe in Jesus Christ, in who He is, and what He did, then that should have the effect of obedience every day at every time. This is where we all struggle, to seek first His kingdom rather than our own, to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness rather than the things we think we want. Our nature keeps us from perfectly accomplishing this, but that is no reason to give up, to resign to a life apart from His plan. It is hard, because we don’t always know the specifics of what we are to do, but God is faithful. In Matthew 6, Jesus tells us about all of the things we people worry about, the things we think we need. In response to the question of food, clothing, drink, and every need, Jesus tells us, “For the pagans (unbelievers) run after all these things and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” -Matthew 6:32-34
This verse doesn’t tell us that God will give use every little thing we desire, it tells us to not worry about the things we desire because only HE actually knows what we need. HE is the Creator God, all we have is to seek Him in obedience and faith, and we need not fear.
Life on the Hill: Bison Blog
