First Things First

Luke 10:38–42

Matthew 6:28–34

We are beginning a new series today called “Back in My Day: Learning from Previous Generations.”

All of us have heard someone begin a sentence with the phrase, “Back in my day…”

Sometimes it is a parent or a grandparent, sometimes an aunt or an uncle, sometimes even a friend a few years older than us.

Usually it comes with a story about how much harder life used to be.

“Back in my day, we walked five miles to school in the snow, uphill both ways. fighting bears with my loose leaf notebook”

“Back in my day, phones had cords, and if you wanted privacy you stretched it around the corner until someone tripped on it.”

“Back in my day, gas was thirty cents a gallon and candy bars were a nickel.”

Some of those sayings make us laugh, and some make us roll our eyes, but many of them carry truths that are worth listening to.

In fact, Scripture tells us that there is wisdom in listening to those who have gone before us.

Proverbs 1:8 says,

Proverbs 1:8 KJV

8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother:

God designed the generations to learn from each other.

That is what this series is about.

We want to lean in and hear the lessons our parents and grandparents tried to teach us and see how they line up with timeless truths from God’s Word.

Over the next several weeks we are going to take some of those old familiar sayings and discover the biblical wisdom behind them.

And today we begin with the saying, “First things first.”

That is a phrase we have all heard, but it is more than just an old proverb.

It is a biblical principle that Jesus Himself taught.

In a world filled with constant noise, distractions, and endless demands on our time, Jesus calls us to put Him first above everything else.

Luke 10 tells us about two sisters who learned this lesson in their living room.

Matthew 6 records Jesus teaching it on a hillside.

Both passages remind us that life only makes sense when our relationship with Christ is first.

So let’s open the Word of God today and learn how to put first things first.

I. The Principle of Priorities

Matthew 6:28–34

Jesus tells us our relationship with God must come before everything else.

There are so many things that pull us away…and they are not all bad things.

Jesus makes His teaching on priorities very clear in Matthew 6:28–34.

He reminds us that God clothes the lilies of the field and feeds the birds of the air.

If God provides for the flowers and the sparrows, how much more will He provide for His children?

He tells us not to be consumed with anxious thoughts about food, drink, or clothing.

The Gentiles live that way—chasing after material needs with no thought of God.

But as believers we are called to live differently.

Instead of chasing the things of earth, we are to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

When we do, all the other needs of life will be taken care of by our heavenly Father.

With that in mind, let’s see how Jesus identifies the competition for our attention.

A. The Competition for Our Attention

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

Jesus knew that people in every generation are weighed down by worry.

In His day, people were consumed with questions about food, clothing, and daily provision.

In our day, the questions sound different—How will I pay these bills?

How will I get all my work done?

What will people think of me?

What about the future?

But the root issue is the same—our attention is constantly pulled away from God by the cares of this life.

Jesus said, “Take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?”

We are talking about distraction from the main point!

How many times have you gone to check one text on your phone, and thirty minutes later you are still scrolling?

That is the power of distraction.

Satan does not always need to tempt us with sin; sometimes he only needs to keep us too busy to notice God.

Hebrews 12:1 KJV

1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Start your day with God before you have a chance to be distracted!

Begin your day with the Lord before you begin with the world.

Before you check your phone, check in with your Bible.

Before you scroll, stop and seek the Lord in prayer.

Make God the first voice you hear each morning.

B. The Command for Our Alignment

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Jesus doesn’t simply warn us about worry; He gives us the cure.

“…seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness…”

This is not a suggestion; it is a command.

The word “first” means first in order, first in priority, and first in importance.

It is a deliberate choice to make God’s kingdom the ruling principle of our lives.

C. S. Lewis said, “Put first things first and we get second things thrown in: put second things first and we lose both first and second things.”

Colossians 3:1–2 says,

Colossians 3:1–2 KJV

1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Align your calendar with God’s kingdom.

Do not just try to squeeze God into your schedule—build your schedule around Him.

Plan for worship,

Plan for prayer,

Plan for devotion as if they are the most important appointments of your week, because they are.

C. The Confidence in God’s Provision

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Jesus promises that when we put Him first, “all these things shall be added unto you.”

This does not mean God gives us everything we want, but that He provides everything we truly need.

Verse 34 reminds us that worrying about tomorrow only multiplies today’s burdens.

Someone once said, “Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but it does not get you anywhere.”

Philippians 4:6–7 KJV

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

We need to choose trust over worry.

When you feel anxiety rising, turn that thought into a prayer.

Remind yourself that your heavenly Father knows what you need before you even ask Him.

Trust Him to take care of tomorrow as you seek Him today.

As we move into II…We are going to look at the story of Mary and Martha which shows us the danger of distraction and the blessing of devotion.

Before we move into this story, remember what Jesus just taught in Matthew 6.

He told us not to worry about the necessities of life but to seek first the kingdom of God.

Luke 10 gives us a real-life example of what that looks like inside the home of two sisters.

So let’s look at …

II. The Picture of Priorities

Luke 10:38–42

First let’s see…

A. Martha’s Distraction

40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. 41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

The Bible says Martha was “cumbered about much serving.”

The word “cumbered” means pulled in every direction, weighed down, or distracted.

Have you ever felt like you are pulled in every direction?

I have! Right around VBS time each year…but other times too.

Martha’s problem was not that she was working hard—it was that she was working for Jesus without spending time with Jesus.

She was doing good things in the wrong priority.

Notice her attitude—she became frustrated, resentful, and even accused Jesus of not caring: “Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone?”

Imagine inviting a close friend for dinner and then never sitting down to talk with them because you are too busy in the kitchen.

That was Martha with Jesus.

Proverbs 23:4 warns,

Proverbs 23:4 KJV

4 Labour not to be rich: Cease from thine own wisdom.

It is possible to work so hard for the wrong goal that we miss the most important goal.

Back in my day…When you asked kids what htey wanted to be they said things like, a doctor, a firefighter, a policeman something like that.

Something aww inspireing and brave, life changing.

So many kids today, when they are asked what they want to be answer, “Rich”, or “Famous”

The priorities are all wrong…because we are letting Hollywood and YouTube set their priorities.

We need to teach them to seek first the kingdom of God.

But, serving Christ must never replace seeking Christ.

Busyness is not the same as godliness.

Do not confuse a full schedule with a full heart.

But let’s look now at…

B. Mary’s Devotion

Luke 10: 39, 42

39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.

42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

While Martha was distracted, Mary “sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.”

In that culture, for Mary to sit at the feet of a rabbi was shocking.

It was the position of a disciple, and women were not often allowed that role.

Yet Mary chose to give her undivided attention to the Lord.

Jesus commended her, saying she had chosen “that good part.”

What Martha thought was wasted time, Jesus said was the most valuable use of time.

Psalm 27:4 says,

Psalm 27:4 KJV

4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.

Is that our testimony?

Do you remember when you children were young and they would sits at your feet just to soak in a story, eyes fixed, ears tuned, heart full of wonder.

Now we are lucky if we get a grunt or a chuckle while their eyes are stuck to their phone.

But that was Mary’s heart before Jesus.

She was soaking it in…all of it.

Please…my dear friends…Make time to sit still before the Lord in prayer and in His Word.

Choose devotion before distraction.

Choose worship before work.

Listen how Jesus described it…Look at …

C. The Lord’s Declaration

42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Jesus gently but firmly corrected Martha: “Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful.”

He did not say Martha’s work was worthless, but He did say it was not what was most important at that moment.

Only one thing is needful—time with Him.

Mary had chosen that good part, and Jesus promised it would not be taken from her.

Think of a to-do list that never ends.

No matter how many boxes you check off, there are always more waiting.

Jesus says stop chasing the list and start choosing the one thing that matters.

Like Paul, we need to say…

Philippians 3:13–14 KJV

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Each day you must make a conscious choice—will you live like Martha, distracted by many things, or like Mary, devoted to the one needful thing?

Do not let the urgent crowd out the important.

Choose the better part.

Let’s be practical now!

Let’s see…

III. The Practice of Priorities

Priorities do not happen automatically; they must be practiced intentionally.

Jesus gave us the principle in Matthew 6.

Mary and Martha gave us the picture in Luke 10.

Now we must put this into practice in our own lives.

How can we do this…I have three important steps for all of us to follow…

A. Choose Spiritual Investment

The things of God rarely demand our attention with loud urgency.

Prayer, Bible reading, worship, and service are often the first things pushed aside when life gets busy.

However, they are the very things that feed our souls and draw us close to Christ.

Stephen Covey’s famous time-management matrix points out that important but not urgent tasks are the easiest to neglect.

That is why so many Christians struggle spiritually—not because they do not know what to do, but because they put it off until “later.”

Joshua 1:8 says,

Joshua 1:8 KJV

8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

A farmer who neglects to sow seed at the right time cannot expect a harvest later.

If we neglect spiritual investment today, we cannot expect spiritual fruit tomorrow.

Schedule daily time with God like an unmissable appointment.

Do not wait for leftover minutes; give Him the first minutes.

Invest in your spiritual life first, and the rest of your life will follow.

Secondly,

B. Choose Godly Examples

We are influenced by the people we admire and imitate.

That is why Scripture calls us to follow godly examples.

There are many godly examples around us.

From faithful saints in our churches, to preachers that we can listen to their sermons, even Christian influencers…athletes, or other Christian examples.

Patrick Mahomes, one of the NFL’s most recognizable athletes right ow, shared that before every game he walks to the goalpost, bows his head, and prays to thank God for the opportunity to glorify Him on that stage.

Even on the largest platform of sports, he chooses to put faith first.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:1

1 Corinthians 11:1 KJV

1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

We need people in our lives who remind us what it looks like to keep Jesus first.

Keep the right examples before your eyes.

Surround yourself with believers who prioritize God above all.

Follow their example, and be an example for others who are watching you.

C. Choose Eternal Perspective

The choices we make reveal what we value most.

Video games where players build their own worlds are really popular right now.

In games like Animal Crossing or Minecraft, players decide what to build first, and those choices shape their whole world.

Kids love to create and make choices of what they want to see in their game.

But their decisions sometimes become a hindrance to their game play.

In the same way, the things we build first in our lives determine the kind of legacy we leave behind.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:19–20,

Matthew 6:19–20 KJV

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

2 Corinthians 4:18 reminds us,

2 Corinthians 4:18 KJV

18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Live each day with eternity in view.

Ask yourself: Am I investing in what will last forever—God’s kingdom, His Word, and the souls of people?

Or am I wasting my time building things that will crumble and fade?

The practice of priorities means choosing daily to invest in spiritual growth, to follow godly examples, and to live with eternity in mind.

It means living intentionally so that first things truly come first.

Conclusion

Jesus told Martha that one thing is needful, and Mary had chosen it.

The same choice is before us today.

Will we live distracted like Martha or or will we live devoted like Mary?

Will we let worry run our lives, or will we seek first the kingdom of God?

Jim Elliot once said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

Put Jesus first this week, and you will find that He gives meaning and peace to everything else.