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Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Think

There’s something sacred about the first day of a new year. The calendar is blank. The planner still smells new. The page has been turned, and with it comes a quiet question: what will this year be about?

The world will give you a thousand answers—productivity, aesthetics, goals, growth, grit. Resolutions dominate the conversation: wake up earlier, eat cleaner, read more, hustle harder. But what if the question isn't just what you’ll do differently this year—but what (or who) your life is being built around?

In Matthew 6, Jesus speaks directly to the pull of priorities. He knows how easy it is for our hearts to drift—toward worry, toward striving, toward the loudest voice in the room. He talks about clothes, money, food—all the normal things people stress about. But then he drops a recalibrating sentence: “Seek first his kingdom…”

Jesus isn’t anti-planning. He’s not opposed to progress. But he’s showing us the difference between living centered and living scattered. And in a culture that runs on distraction and pressure, that’s the shift we need most.

Re-centering doesn’t start with a list—it starts with love. It’s not a productivity strategy. It’s a posture. It’s about coming back to the One your soul was made for, and choosing—again—to let him be the axis your world turns on.

Think of your life like a wheel. Every year, every goal, every relationship is a spoke. But the health of the wheel isn’t determined by the spokes—it’s determined by the center. If the hub is misaligned, everything wobbles. The ride gets rough. The direction gets unpredictable. That’s what happens when we put anything at the center other than Jesus.

This isn’t just theory—it’s deeply personal. When Jesus says, “Seek first,” he’s not being vague. He’s inviting you to build a life around his presence, his priorities, his pace.

Notice the order: Seek first… and all these things will be given to you as well. Most of us reverse it. We seek the “things”—stability, comfort, achievement—and then ask Jesus to bless them. But he says, “Start with me. Center on me. Let everything else follow.”

And that takes intentionality. Drift is natural. Centering is deliberate.

Maybe last year felt scattered. Maybe you were pulled in a dozen directions. Maybe you’ve felt spiritually stretched thin—trying to keep up with life, but struggling to feel grounded in any of it. That’s not a failure—it’s a signal. Your soul is whispering: “Come back to center.”

Re-centering might mean saying no to some good things, to say yes to what’s best. It might mean starting the day not with emails or goals, but with stillness—ten minutes of open-handed prayer. It might mean asking hard questions about where your time, energy, and money are going: “Is this helping me live centered on the kingdom of God?”

Jesus isn’t asking you to fix your whole life today. He’s asking you to start here. To begin this year by seeking him first. To reorder what’s gotten chaotic. To clear the spiritual clutter. To let his voice set the tone before all the others weigh in.

The beauty of grace is that you don’t have to clean yourself up to come back. You don’t have to feel “spiritual enough” to start fresh. The center is open. The invitation is waiting. Jesus is not far. He’s never been.

This year, you’ll face distractions. That’s a given. You’ll feel the tug of comparison, the stress of performance, the noise of culture. But you don’t have to live at the mercy of it. You’ve been given an anchor. A center that doesn’t shake.

And when you live from that center—when seeking first becomes your rhythm—you’ll notice a shift. Not everything will be easier, but everything will be clearer. Decisions will come from peace, not panic. Love will flow more freely. Identity won’t rise and fall with outcomes.

This is how you build a life that lasts. Not by perfect execution, but by daily alignment. By asking again and again, “Am I centered? What am I seeking first?”

It doesn’t mean you won’t stumble. But it does mean you’ll know where to return when you do.

So today, start where Jesus starts. Not with the “things”—but with the King. Not with control, but with surrender. Not with worry, but with worship. The calendar has turned. The way forward is open. The Center is waiting.

Apply

Take five minutes today and write down your top five priorities for the year. Then ask honestly: “Is Jesus truly first?” If not, what would it look like to reorder your days, your schedule, your heart, around him?

Pray

Jesus, I want this year to be different—not just on the surface, but at the center. Teach me to seek you first. Strip away what distracts or distorts. Help me to live this year grounded in your presence, shaped by your word, and led by your Spirit. Be the center of everything I am. In Jesus’ name. Amen.