What does Matthew 6:33 mean? (2024)

ESVBut seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

NIVBut seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

NASBBut seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.

CSBBut seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

NLTSeek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

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

Follow Us:What does Matthew 6:33 mean? (1)What does Matthew 6:33 mean? (2) What does Matthew 6:33 mean? (3)

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica®.

The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® Copyright© 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New American Standard Bible Copyright© 1960 - 2020 by The Lockman Foundation.

Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright© 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by Permission.

This is one of the key verses in all of Jesus' teaching, commonly used in quotes, artwork, and Bible memorization. Like any other lesson from Christ, it must be understood in the context of the verses that come before it. Too often, Jesus' words here have been ripped out of that context and used to suggest that God will supply endless material blessings if His children seek Him first. That is not, at all, the meaning of this sentence.

The context of "these things" are the basic needs of life: food and clothing. Jesus has commanded His readers not to live in continually worry about how they will obtain those, even if they don't know where the next meal is coming from. He wants them to trust the heavenly Father to provide what is needed for His children because He values them so greatly (Matthew 6:25–32). Instead of living in constant and fruitless worry, Jesus gives His followers a different outlet for their energy: pursue God's kingdom, trust His righteousness, and leave it to Him to take care of the basic needs of our lives.

The call to "seek first" God's kingdom and righteousness connects to the other teachings Jesus has given in this Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:1–2, 5–6, 16–17). Motives matter, and only by sincerely putting God first can we pursue righteousness. Followers of Christ should prioritize living according to the principles He has been teaching (Matthew 6:24; John 14:15). Jesus' earliest message was the same as that of John the Baptist, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17).

To seek God's kingdom and His righteousness means to live in that ongoing repentance from sin, and to lead the kind of sincere, from-the-heart, devoted-to-God lifestyles Jesus has been describing. In response, God will make provision for whatever it is we truly "need" in order to accomplish His will.

Expand

Expand

Expand

What is the Gospel?

Download the app:
What does Matthew 6:33 mean? (4)What does Matthew 6:33 mean? (5)

BibleRef.com is part of Got Questions Ministries What does Matthew 6:33 mean? (6)

For answers to your Bible questions, please visit
What does Matthew 6:33 mean? (7)

Follow Us:What does Matthew 6:33 mean? (8)What does Matthew 6:33 mean? (9) What does Matthew 6:33 mean? (10)

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica®.

The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® Copyright© 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New American Standard Bible Copyright© 1960 - 2020 by The Lockman Foundation.

Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright© 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by Permission.

What does Matthew 6:33 mean? (2024)

FAQs

What does Matthew 6 verse 33 mean? ›

A person's top priority can either be God, or money, but cannot be both. Along with that, Jesus says believers should fight against anxiety about daily needs. The heavenly Father knows what we need. All we need to do is pursue His kingdom and righteousness; He will take care of our needs, one day at a time.

What is the priority of Matthew 6:33? ›

Matthew 6:33 reminds us of the importance of seeking God's kingdom and righteousness above all else. It is a call to prioritize our relationship with God and live a life that is pleasing to Him. When we seek first His kingdom, we can trust that all our needs will be met, and we will experience true fulfillment and joy.

What does it mean to seek first God's righteousness? ›

So “seeking God's kingdom” calls us to evangelize, and “seeking God's righteousness” calls us to foster basic Christian civility and compassion—e.g., feed the poor, fight oppression, and love our neighbor. The point is that we are putting God's concerns ahead of our own—seeking HIS agenda with all our heart.

What is the Prayer for Matthew 6:33? ›

Father, please forgive me when I am distracted by things that don't really matter. Use your word, your Spirit, and your people to help call me back to a proper set of priorities. Please bless me as I make your Kingdom and your righteousness my consuming passion. In Jesus' name, I pray.

How do we seek God first? ›

We put God first when we worship Him, praise Him, thank Him, trust Him, and rely on Him rather than ourselves or anyone else. We seek God first when we go to Him for comfort, strength, and reassurance, acknowledging who He is and what He can do.

What does the Bible say about righteousness in Matthew 6 33? ›

Jesus also says that we should seek God's “righteousness.” In its primary meaning, this refers to our right standing with God. We receive his righteousness by faith (Rom. 4:5). And this of course means that we need to hear from God, believe what he says, and act on it.

What does Matthew 6 teach us? ›

In Chapter 6, He explains how good deeds are only righteous when done out of sincere devotion to God, rather than for other people's approval. He also provides a model for prayer. Jesus explains how excessive worry, such as over money, interferes with faith in God.

What does Matthew 6 3 teach us? ›

One interpretation, outlined by Hendriksen, is that Jesus is here stating that just as we should avoid seeking the praise of others for our good deeds, we should also avoid self-congratulation for our piety. One should not feel smug about our own goodness, but should rather try to forget our own good deeds.

What kind of righteousness does God require? ›

The requirement to be righteous in the sight of God and acceptable in His sight is that we stand in perfect conformity to the morally pure holiness of God. Divine holiness means that He is morally perfect and personally flawless in His being, words, actions, and judgments.

What is the only way to be righteous with God? ›

Once a person responds to the call of God (1 Corinthians 1:26), repents of going contrary to God's will, accepts Jesus Christ's sacrifice to pay the penalty for past sins and lays down his or her life in baptism and obeys God's laws, that person is considered righteous in God's eyes.

How do you receive God's righteousness? ›

This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:21-24).

What does Matthew 6:33 teach youth? ›

One of the most popular memory verses about the promise of God to meet the needs of His children in Matthew 6:33 which says, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be provided unto you." This verse is an incredible promise, but with emphasis on God's provision, we often loose ...

What does Matthew 6:33 teach children? ›

Lastly, read Matthew 6:33-34. Say, God wants us to seek His kingdom and when we do we will learn more about Him and will follow His will for our lives. When we are seeking God, He will make sure that we have everything that we need. He loves us and will provide for our needs.

What does Jesus tell us not to do in Matthew 6 34? ›

Matthew 6:34 is “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” It is the thirty-fourth, and final, verse of the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount.

What does it mean to humble yourselves before the Lord? ›

To humble oneself is to acknowledge God as Lord and to obey as servant. In order to do so, then, the Son had to take “the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7). “We, as creatures, must obey our Creator, and he, as our brother, did the same.”

What did Jesus mean when he said I did not come to bring peace but a sword? ›

It is a call to war against ego-identification. Using the sword of discrimination, we must cut away attachment to fleeting identities (this body, this personality, this family) in order to realize the eternal soul. His teaching presented an “either/or” proposition. We can't have both.

What did Jesus mean when he said the kingdom of God is within you? ›

Jesus said, "for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you" in response to the Pharisees asking when the Kingdom of God will come. The saying has numerous explanations including that enlightenment is within you, in your heart, and your spark of God has always been there.

What does it mean to put God first? ›

To put God first in our lives, we must be obedient to His commandments and become truly converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Conversion means more than being a member of the Church. It is deeper than accepting gospel principles and having a testimony that they are true.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Mrs. Angelic Larkin

Last Updated:

Views: 6097

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (67 voted)

Reviews: 90% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Mrs. Angelic Larkin

Birthday: 1992-06-28

Address: Apt. 413 8275 Mueller Overpass, South Magnolia, IA 99527-6023

Phone: +6824704719725

Job: District Real-Estate Facilitator

Hobby: Letterboxing, Vacation, Poi, Homebrewing, Mountain biking, Slacklining, Cabaret

Introduction: My name is Mrs. Angelic Larkin, I am a cute, charming, funny, determined, inexpensive, joyous, cheerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.