“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” — Matthew 6:33

There is something beautiful about this verse because Jesus doesn’t tell us to fit Him into the empty spaces of our lives.

He tells us to seek Him first.

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Every evening, my youngest daughter sits down to do her homework.

This year she started fifth grade and was blessed with some pretty awesome teachers. One of the reasons they’re so awesome is because they’re passionate about what they do. They want their students to learn, grow, and succeed.

Along with great teachers comes something my daughter isn’t quite as excited about…

Homework.

Every night she has to read twenty pages from the book she’s currently reading.

With school only being back in session for a week, she’s still very much in summer mode. Almost every night I hear the same thing.

“Do I have to read all twenty pages?”

“I’m so tired.”

“I don’t want to read tonight.”

As her mom, my response is always the same.

“Yes, you do. It’s your homework. Reading is good for you, and it’s not optional.”

Then, in one of those moments that only God can orchestrate, He quietly spoke to my heart.

“What about you?”

For a second, I didn’t know how to answer.

Then, almost instinctively, I started giving God the very same excuses my daughter had just given me.

“I’ve been so busy.”

“The kids…”

“Work…”

“Sports…”

“Dinner…”

“The dishes…”

“The laundry…”

“I’ve been getting up at 5:45 every morning and going to bed late.”

Before I could justify myself any further, it was as if God gently responded with the very words I had just spoken to my daughter.

“It’s homework. It’s not optional. My Word is good for you.”

Ouch.

If that wasn’t a loving conviction, I don’t know what was.

How often do we faithfully complete everything the world requires of us while neglecting the one thing our souls need most?

We show up for work.

We get the kids where they need to be.

We wash the laundry.

We cook the meals.

We answer the emails.

We keep the house running.

We make sure everyone else fulfills their responsibilities.

Yet when it comes to spending time with God, somehow it’s the first thing we convince ourselves can wait until tomorrow.

The truth is, if my daughter skipped her homework every night because she was tired, eventually it would affect her growth.

The same is true for us.

We can’t expect to grow spiritually if we continually skip the very thing God uses to grow us.

The difference is that my daughter has me.

She has someone who reminds her.

Encourages her.

Holds her accountable.

As adults, no teacher is collecting our Bible reading the next morning.

No one is checking whether we spent time with the Lord before the day began.

That kind of accountability has to come from within.

Life is busy.

Our calendars are full.

By the end of the day, we’re running on fumes.

But maybe that’s exactly why God asks us to come to Him.

Not because He needs our time…

Because we need Him.

The beautiful thing is that God isn’t asking for perfection.

He isn’t waiting for the laundry to be folded, the dishes to be washed, or the house to be quiet before He invites us into His presence.

He simply asks us to come.

Sometimes it’s twenty minutes.

Sometimes it’s ten.

Sometimes it’s one chapter before the day begins.

Sometimes it’s a whispered prayer while folding laundry.

But whatever it looks like, it shouldn’t become the leftover part of our day.

It should become the foundation of it.

As parents, we lovingly teach our children that some things are too important to skip, even when they’re tired.

Maybe it’s time we start holding ourselves to that same standard.

Because God’s Word isn’t another task to check off our list.

It’s the very thing that gives us the strength, wisdom, and peace to face everything else on it.

So tomorrow morning, before you check your email…

Before you start the laundry…

Before you tackle the endless to-do list…

Remember what God so gently reminded me.

It’s homework.

It’s not optional.

🎵 Worship that encouraged me this week: “First Things First” by Consumed By Fire. Sometimes I need the reminder that before the laundry, before the emails, before the endless to-do list… God simply asks for my heart first.