What is our first priority?
Jesus told us the greatest commandment was to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and the second being to love others as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31).
Jesus also told us specifically what to seek first as well in Matthew 6:33:
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."
If you are a believer who is also an artist (musician, singer, dancer, painter, etc.), you are not to seek after music, singing, dancing, etc. - nor should we be seeking after training or experience in these areas above seeking first the Lord and His kingdom. Yes, we should commit to training, education, and gaining experience and opportunities to grow and expand our gifts and talents, but we need to make certain we are not putting all of this ahead of our seeking the Lord and our relationship with Him.
What is the kingdom of God?
Romans 14:17 has the answer:
"for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."
Righteousness:
Righteousness means to be in right standing with God; to be doing what is right and pleasing to God. Only by the blood of Jesus are any of us in right standing with God. Through the sacrifice of Jesus paying for our sins on the cross, those of us who have received Him as our Savior have been made righteous before God. ("For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Corinthians 5:21)
Peace:
Being in right standing with God gives us peace with God (Ephesians 2:13-14 - for He Himself is our peace). As we stay focused on the Lord as well as trusting in the Lord, we will remain in peace (Isaiah 26:3). Jesus has given us His peace (John 14:27).
Joy:
As we seek God in prayer, through His Word and in worship, we experience His presence. In God's presence is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11) and the joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10)
If we are seeking first the kingdom, we will be living out righteousness and be full of the peace and joy and Spirit of God.
Our first priority as artists who are first sons and daughters of the King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus Christ, is to seek Him with undivided hearts (loving Him more than we love the things of this world - 1 John 2:15-17), to seek to obey "whatever He says for you to do", to seek spiritual growth and maturity, to seek purity, to seek holiness, and to seek to honor and glorify the Lord with all our gifts and talents.
Romans 11:36; 12:1-2 - The Message Bible:
Everything comes from Him;
Everything happens through Him;
Everything ends up in Him.
Always glory! Always praise!
Yes. Yes. Yes.
So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life -- your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life -- and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity; God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
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