Righteousness is not Right Behavior - Joseph Prince

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Matthew 6:33

- FEBRUARY 22 -
HAVING ALL THINGS ADDED TO YOU

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You are probably a responsible person who is concerned about providing well for your family—making sure that there is food on the table, money for the children’s needs, comfort and education, and so on.

What does God have to say to us about these legitimate concerns? According to Matthew 6:31, He tells us, “Do not worry.” Now, He is not saying that we don’t need all these things because in the same portion of scripture He says, “For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” (Matthew 6:32)

So God cares about us having these things. He wants us to have all these things. In fact, He wants all these things added to us. And He tells us that the way these things are added to us is by us seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Therefore, our number one priority every day is to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness. It is not to seek to add these things to ourselves.

But what is righteousness? Righteousness is not right behavior. It is right standing with the Father. It is the clearance of all your guilt, which makes you able to stand before God. It is not something you get through right behavior. It is a gift from God. Paul calls it “the gift of righteousness”. (Romans 5:17) And to “seek” this gift is to be conscious of the fact that you have it, to confess that you are righteous in Christ.

So this righteousness we are told to seek is not right behavior, but right standing before God, which comes to us as a gift when we receive salvation. At the cross, Jesus didn’t just remove our sins, He also gave us His righteousness so that today, we can come boldly before the throne of God and receive freely everything that He died to give us!

Today, if you want to provide your family with the good things in life, be assured that your heavenly Father knows that you need these things. Just seek His righteousness, not your own righteousness, and “all these things shall be added to you”!