UPFRONT September 10, 2007 Issue

Consider the important things

JENNY ROEMER, STAFF EDITOR

Christ Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in the Bible could be considered the most comprehensive guide to living an unselfed life—particularly Jesus' directive, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matt. 6:33). Prior to making that statement, Jesus had been encouraging the gathered crowd not to worry about things like the clothes they were wearing or the food they chose to eat.

This week's Sentinel contains fresh insights about seeking "the kingdom of God and his righteousness." As James Spencer discusses in his article on page 8, a commitment to this search "indicates a heart moved by selfless and unconditional giving." And Natalie Aide echoes this prayer when, as she puts it, "My focus shifted from personal inward struggles to an outward focus on others" (p. 10). That same desire to shift prayer outward is the reason for this week's launch of the Sentinel's new feature: "In the News—a spiritual perspective" (see "Prayer for love and progress in China," p. 14).

As the writers in this week's issue point out, it's often easy to think of Jesus' statement a little bit like this . . . pray about "x" (the seeking part), then receive "y" (what you need) as a result, or reward. But it's comforting to learn that as we grow closer to God, wants and needs are eclipsed by an increased willingness to seek heaven, a consciousness that knows only good. And in the process, everything we need to practically sustain us on our search is provided. True spiritual satisfaction becomes the goal, and the "things" we think we needed turn out to be secondary—and maybe not so important after all.

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