When we put bits into the mounts of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Amen. No one would disagree that communication is essential to effective leadership. And don’t miss that God wraps up this passage with a promise: When we seek Him first, He gives us exactly what we need. 3 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together (New York: Harper & Row, 1956), pp. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. What should I do?”, The doctor replies, “Here’s a test so you can find out for sure. (Proverbs 11:2;19:11) This is a means of seeking first God’s kingdom. Making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. Covey's message (addressed in Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood) is that people form opinions based on their own experiences. The reason is that I think we should encourage people. Psalm 22:3 tells us that God inhabits the praises of His people. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. *Note: This insight and the title of this article “Seek first to understand, then to be understood” is the 5th habit in Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. , Here are ten suggestions of how to apply James 1:19: Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding. So how can Christians seek first the kingdom of God? Because He knows that nothing compares to Him — not cars, money, other gods, addictions, or people. 4 William Barry and William Connolly, The Practice of Spiritual Direction (San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1993), p. 33. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Article Images Copyright © 2020 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Good sense is a fountain of life to him who has it, but the instruction of fools is folly. Run to the Father. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. The Bible isn’t merely a book; it is a letter from God to us. Stott, The Contemporary Christian (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1992), p. 112. This allows us to better understand Christ’s intended meaning. There is no fear of God before their eyes. Many factors in interdependent situations are in your Circle of Concern - problems, disagreement, circumstance, other people’s behavior. "But seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you" Matthew 6:33. The righteousness men should seek is that of Christ, not their own. No one is established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous will never be moved. How do you deal with a sinning professed believer who is not a church member? 2 Adapted from James J. Lynch, Language of the Heart (New York: Basic Books, 1985), pp. The Holy Spirit speaks through the pages of Scripture into our hearts if we will only come with open hearts and open Bibles into his presence. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. A man goes to the doctor and says, “Doc, my wife’s hearing isn’t as good as it used to be. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For me, writing in a journal has made me feel less of a need to talk things out with other people. If we seek to understand people clearly in the beginning, we won’t have to correct all the problems that arise from misunderstanding. Previously they have been a text without a signature. And during those solitary moments with His Father, we note an intimate communion between the two of them such as in Matthew 26, verses 39, 42, and 44. Therefore no one is really ignorant of God’s existence; his “invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). Viewed 31k times 1. It is not possible for us to tame our own tongues, but it is possible to surrender our tongues to the lordship of Christ. The phrase sounds easy enough — seek first the kingdom of God. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. ... For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. PraisePeople like praise. B Still, God loves us — every person on earth. ‣ This revelation is general because it is available to all people. Our God is love. Those who wish to be good leaders will develop this skill. For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it. All of us sin. The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. Salem Media Group. Does not wisdom call? ‣ Scripture tells us that if we seek the Kingdom of God first, then all the things we need will be given to us. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Be quick to think well of others but slow to flatter them. What does “Seek first the kingdom of God” mean and how do we do it? A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. Blog, A Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. Then and only then can effective two-way communication begin to take place. 5. F He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. They might allow his words to pass briefly through their conscious minds, but they wouldn’t permit those words to take hold in any meaningful way. Or, if you have watched a sports game on television, you might have noticed a sign proclaiming John 3:16. ‣ But what about taking time to develop the skill of listening? Schaeffer’s answer to that question is simple: The God who is both infinite and personal not only exists but he exists as a communicator. That helps flesh this out. 2. Psalm 19 contains a description of two ways in which God has communicated with us: general revelation and special revelation: The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Try it. But our Father wants to meet with us personally, and He often does that through Scripture. ‣ Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and don’t forget the promise in the verse’s final portion: and all these things shall be added unto you. Young's Literal Translation The first thing is wisdom -- get wisdom, And with all thy getting get understanding. Topical Bible If we can do it, we will not only bless others, we will be much more likely to be heard. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”. To seek God’s kingdom means we’ve made a conscience decision to turn toward God versus anxiety or worry. (Proverbs 27:2) This can be especially helpful when you have a strong disagreement with someone. It will determine to a large extent how eagerly your followers will follow you. Dr. Boa is the President of Reflections Ministries and Trinity House Publishers. How much better to get wisdom than gold! 10. S Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. ‣ Bible Verse Memorization One way to combat the temptation to worry or grow anxious is to know God’s Word. Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid. Y It’s a light unto our path and lamp for our feet according to Psalm 119:105. Jesus states more than a simple command that pinpoints the worries of this world. Active 3 years, 2 months ago. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. ‣ Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. A Prayer of David. The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Those three commands (quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger) may be the most frequently disobeyed commands in the whole Bible. God’s message through Isaiah would go in one ear and out the other. Without speech or language, the stars eloquently point beyond themselves to the One who created and sustains them. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. Suppose Jack and Jane, a married couple, have recently been in an argument. In Proverbs 18:13 we read, “He who answers before listening – that is his folly and his shame.” Earlier in this same chapter Solomon offers a pointed evaluation of those who would rather talk than listen: “A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions” (18:2). My only hesitation is on # 5. Where do you get that living water? In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. Scripture tells us that if we seek the Kingdom of God first, then all the things we need will be given to us. His praise endures forever! When I preached this once, number 9 got in me trouble with an evangelist in attendance. I Seven tips are listed below: 1. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. He knew all the proper language and theories. An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones. The below list of Bible verses about seeking God will help you in your journey toward spiritual growth and wisdom! If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. Part of Dr. Our Father, who is love and far more trustworthy than man, encourages us through Matthew 6:33 and other Bible verses to keep an eternal perspective even as we cross each day off of our calendars. ... For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. The Bible is a map to the abundant life God offers us as his children.