April 21

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

The myth of our day is that happiness is found in satisfying our physical desires and appetites. These may be entirely legitimate, but the engine room of each human being is the spirit which is designed to be inhabited and governed by God. It is for this reason Jesus said, “Seek his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”; ‘these things’ being physical necessities of food and clothing.

The Bible teaches we are made up of three parts; body, soul and spirit. Some prefer to think of human beings as bipartite, merging the spirit and soul, rather than tripartite in which the body, soul and spirit are separate. The body is the obvious physical part of us. We feed it, clothe it, bathe it, exercise it and rest it. The soul is the life which indwells our bodies; our personalities, likes and dislikes, and consists of the mind (ability to think); emotions (ability to feel), and the will (ability to decide). 

The spirit, however, is an additional dimension unique to human beings. It is that part of us which prompts us to reach outside of ourselves to something much bigger for answers that will give meaning and purpose to life. Though we are born separated from God, and spiritually dead, we retain spiritual capacity. This capacity is designed so that we might connect with God, and enjoy a personal relationship in which we come to know and experience Him.

The teaching of Jesus works from the spirit to the soul and out to the body. The norm of our day reverses this process, and tries to satisfy the deep needs of the human spirit by focusing on physical satisfaction. Satisfying the body is never the source of true happiness, because it is not the seat of our true appetites. Our true appetite is expressed in the famous prayer of Augustine, “You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.” For this to become reality, we need to discover the kind of happiness which gives us lasting peace and contentment regardless of circumstances. 

The invitation of Jesus is, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). True happiness is found in rest for our souls, which can only be met in filling our spiritual capacity with Jesus Christ. When in humble repentance we come to Him, acknowledging “I can’t, but You can”, we make an eternal connection with God, which, as we abide in Him, dissolves the myth of our day, and meets the deepest needs of our hearts.

PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, You meet every need of my heart, and give rest for my soul. Thank You, Lord, for indwelling me.

TO REFLECT UPON: Am I nourishing my spiritual side in a loving relationship with Jesus?