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

There are innumerable things to do and things to buy and things to read. How does one choose between them? An important guideline is the use of the word "first" in the New Testament. For example, consider the following priority items:

Priority in awareness: "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers . . . saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for . . . all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation" (II Peter 3:3,4). The primary intellectual heresy of these latter times is the anti-God philosophy of naturalistic evolutionism, as succinctly outlined in this passage.

Priority in behavior: "Cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also" (Matthew 23:26). The thoughts of our hearts will inevitably control the words on our lips and the works of our hands.

Priority in giving: "|They| first gave their own selves to the Lord" (II Corinthians 8:5). One's possessions, talents, time, and all other resources belong to the Lord, but such gifts are acceptable to God only when offered by one whose heart first has been given fully to Him.

Priority in witness: "For I delivered unto you first of all . . . how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day" (I Corinthians 15:3,4).

Priority in concern: "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men" (I Timothy 2:1).

Finally, as the Lord Jesus Himself has commanded, our first priority in every decision should be to do that which honors the kingdom of Christ and His righteousness. HMM