Daily Devotionals

Cherish Week 1: Monday

 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:33

Any builder knows that one of the most, if not the most, important parts of building a house is the foundation. A house can be beautiful and have incredible features, but if the foundation is unsteady, the house will have all kinds of underlying issues. In the same way, our relationships must also have a strong, solid foundation. When our relationships have a strong foundation, they can remain firm and rooted through every season, both good and bad. Even when storms come, our relationships can remain intact when the foundation is built on things that last.

Scripture teaches that Christ is the only firm foundation to root our relationships on. Jesus explained it this way in Matthew 6, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need” (verse 33). Jesus’ call in Matthew 6 is clear: we must make Him the foundation of our life and all of our relationships. There is no room for anything else to compete for His place as our foundation. You see, Jesus’ invitation is a call not just to seek God and His kingdom but to seek God and His kingdom “above all else.” Anything else that takes His place as our foundation causes issues. This is particularly important in our relationships. When our relationship is centered on Christ, He becomes our foundation, and our relationships are strong and firmly rooted in Him. When our relationships are rooted in anything else, whether that is popularity, financial success, or career success, they crumble.

The question we must answer today is, “What is the foundation of our lives?” Is Christ the foundation, or have other people and things taken that number one spot? So maybe today, you and I need to rearrange our priorities and make God’s kingdom and the things of Him our main focus. Remember, when we do this, God will take care of everything else, and we will have strong, healthy relationships.

Moving toward action

Take a few minutes to evaluate your life. What is the foundation of your life? Is it Christ? If not, what steps do you need to take to make Christ your foundation? How does making Christ the foundation have the potential to impact your relationships? If you are married, have this conversation with your spouse to evaluate how to ensure your relationship is founded on Christ.

Going Deeper

 Matthew 6:19-33 (NLT)

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

22 “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. 23 But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!

24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.

25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."