28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,

29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

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

— Matthew 6:28-29; 31-32, 33

1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

— Colossians 3:1-4

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

May the Holy Spirit lead and empower you.

We experience the physical world while living in bodies of flesh. The things we see or touch fully absorb our attention. We plan our next meal, and await our next paycheck. We walk, talk, and work as the years pass by. Daily life can utterly consume our time, energy and focus. How do we live in this world and figure out what really matters? Surely God intends more for us than an inch-deep focus on this physical world. What helps us see beyond the fleeting and visible to seek and embrace what will last forever?

Throughout John‘s gospel, Jesus sought to raise His followers’ focus from an earthly perspective to a heavenly one. When people limited His words to the physical realm, Jesus expanded and elevated their thinking. Jesus explained spiritual rebirth and offered living water, not just liquid water to the people who need. Jesus directed His disciples’ attention to the spiritual needs of people around them and the eternal satisfaction of doing God‘s will. Eternal priorities matter more than temporal pleasures. May the Lord lead us to see the world and measure our lives the way He does.