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Luke 12:22–31
“Do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you” (vv. 29–31).
Human beings are apt to focus on gaining and maintaining resources. In many ways, this is understandable. We cannot long survive without food, shelter, or clothing; therefore, we spend much time acquiring these things and other material goods. Importantly, Scripture does not condemn people simply for trying to meet their needs or provide for their families. It even commends efforts to accumulate more than we need. Proverbs 13:22 says that a good man leaves an inheritance to his grandchildren, but he cannot do that if all he does is meet the bare necessities of life, for then there will be nothing left to bequeath to his family.
Scripture often views wealth in itself neutrally. God’s Word cares about our attitudes and actions regarding wealth, not the mere possession of it. Do we make acquiring resources our chief end to the exclusion of love of God and of neighbor? Certainly that is sinful. The parable of the rich fool teaches us as much. The rich fool sinned not in having plentiful crops but in putting all his thought into how he would hold on to his goods. They became his reason for existence, and no thought was given to thanking God for his wealth or sharing his abundance with those who could not meet the essential needs of life (Luke 12:16–21).
A sinful disposition toward wealth, however, can manifest itself in other ways as well. It is possible, for instance, to return a tithe to the Lord and to give to the poor but to be overly anxious over how we are going to meet our needs. This error demonstrates not covetousness but a lack of trust in God, a failure to believe that He will supply everything we truly need. Jesus addresses that error in verses 22–28 and counters it by reminding us that the Lord does indeed care for His children. The lilies and the ravens do not worry about having their needs satisfied, and they never lack anything. God provides for them all. Since human beings are of much greater value than ravens or lilies, we should have no worry that the Lord will fail to give us every good thing. Excessive anxiety often reveals little faith.
The answer is not to seek after what we are to eat and drink (Luke 12:29). This does not mean that we should wait for the things we need to drop into our laps. We are supposed to plan ahead and to work for our bread (2 Thess. 3:10). The key lies in our priorities. We are not to seek material goods as the world does, making them our chief aim. Our pursuit of God’s kingdom is to come first (Luke 12:30–31).
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Sometimes it can be hard to know whether we are truly putting God’s kingdom first and whether our concern about providing for ourselves and our families has become sinful worry. One way that we can discern whether we have the right priorities is to look at how we spend our time and money. Do our habits reflect a concern to pursue God and see His kingdom grow, or do they reflect an inward focus and neglect of His church?
for further study
- Psalm 37:25
- Isaiah 35
- Zechariah 10
- Philippians 4:6
the bible in a year
- Esther 4–6
- Acts 5:17–42