A disciple is someone whose life has been reoriented to see God’s glory, God’s kingdom, and God’s will. But of course, we are often convinced that we need all the “extra things” and the very suggestion that our wants are not essential produces a kind of nervous anxiety in us. Jesus anticipates this nervous response. He devotes this entire section of his sermon to dealing with anxiety. But his goal is not simply to suppress our anxiety. Jesus wants us to prioritize our Father’s kingdom above everything else: Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness (v.33). In 2024 let’s be resolved to seek our Father first.