Have you ever paused to consider what it truly means to trust God with your plans and priorities? In Matthew 6, Jesus invites us into a life free from worry by placing our focus on God’s Kingdom above all else.
A worry-free life: God’s promise to provide
In Matthew 6, Jesus is addressing the people around Him about how to live their lives, teaching them about various important topics and encouraging them that God, their Father in Heaven sees them, knows them and has already taken care of all their needs.
From verse 25, Jesus says that there’s no need to worry – the flowers are well taken care of, the birds have all that they need and, as we are much more precious as God’s children, our Father will take even better care of us.
But here’s the kicker; in verse 33 He goes on to say: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else AND live righteously and He will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
Learning to 'seek first': My personal journey
Whilst growing up, I often remember hearing this verse being quoted in the sermon at church on a Sunday morning, or a youth leader talking about it on a Friday evening at youth club; “Just seek first the Kingdom of God Omique, and everything else will be added to you,” they would say, but I never really understood what Jesus meant until I was a young adult and God took me on a journey of my own!
I had long-term plans to be in the legal sector and was starting to make my way up the career ladder when things came to a screeching halt; suddenly, I found myself looking for a new law firm. It was in the midst of that process that God gently pointed out to me that I had not consulted Him in my career plans. In fact, my goals and aspirations were ‘Plan B’ and what He had created me for, and deemed as His good will for my life, was ‘Plan A’.
I was immediately convicted, repented and humbly asked God to reveal to me my purpose. To my surprise all I heard in response was one word: ‘Youth’. Afterwards, I made seeking God and His Kingdom my priority, with Jesus showing me the way, and have not looked back since. The last six years have been something of a rollercoaster experience, but I can testify that God has provided everything that I have needed and continues to do so.
Trusting God's plan: Living with purpose and perspective
Proverbs 16:9 says: “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” Jesus came so that we may be restored to our Creator, who longs to be in relationship with us. God has things for us to do and they are GOOD, far better than our own dreams, goals and aspirations. As we continue to step out in faith and serve in whatever form of service we may currently be in, amongst the busyness, may we be reminded to put our trust and hope in Jesus Christ alone and be led by the Holy Spirit in all things.
December is just around the corner! As we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Saviour, may we be encouraged that He is the way, the truth and the life. Jesus is the reason for the season as we like to say, but He is also the reason for our day-to-day. During the holiday season, may we keep our eyes on that which is eternal; the vision and mission that God has given each and every one of us to fulfil whilst here on this earth.
Mission
Bi-monthly emails for Christian workers and Bible College students. Encouragement, practical tools and training to strengthen you in your support raising journey.
Omique Williams
Omique joined Stewardship as the Support Raising Coordinator with the Individual Partnership Team in 2024. Her role involves a variety of activities such as hosting the Support Raising Training and monthly Surgery sessions, contributing posts to the Mission blog and contacting organisations about the services available to help benefit their work for the Kingdom of God.
Omique previously served at Youth With A Mission (YWAM) Medical Ships Australia and Papua New Guinea as a full-time missionary for over three years after completing her Discipleship Training school in 2020. Her passion is to use her experiences in the field to empower, encourage and equip other Christian Workers to thrive in their service to the Lord.
Prior to missions, Omique worked at a national law firm for two years as a Costs Draftsperson, after completing her LLB Law Degree with First Class Honours at the University of Hertfordshire in 2016.
Born and raised in South London, Omique now lives in Birmingham and serves her local church New Testament Church of God The ROCK as District Youth Director. Omique has a desire to see the next generation come to Christ and in her spare time can often be found mentoring young girls on their walk with The Lord.
