The One Thing That Drives Everything: Living the Seek One Life

What if the antidote to our anxiety, worry, and restlessness isn't found in accumulating more, achieving more, or controlling more—but in surrendering everything to the one thing that truly matters?

In Matthew 6:33, Jesus offers us a revolutionary invitation: "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
This isn't just another item to add to our spiritual to-do list. This is the linchpin—the central truth that holds everything else together. It's an invitation to a completely different way of living, what we might call the "seek one life."

The Heart of the Matter

At the core of Jesus's teaching in the Sermon on the Mount lies a penetrating question: What is the one thing in your life that drives everything else?
We all have something. For some, it's career advancement and professional success. For others, it's family security and our children's future. Perhaps it's the approval of others, financial stability, or maintaining a certain lifestyle. Whatever it is, this one thing shapes our decisions, consumes our thoughts, and dictates how we spend our time and money.

The word "first" in Matthew 6:33 comes from the Greek word protos—the root of our English words like "proton" and "priority." But Jesus isn't asking us to simply place Him at the top of our list. He's calling us to let Him write the list entirely. He's not asking to be number one among many priorities; He's asking to be the page on which all priorities are written.

In Revelation 1:7, Jesus declares, "I am the first and the last"—the one who reigns supreme over everything. The seek one life, then, is a life where Jesus reigns supreme over every area: our calendars, our finances, our relationships, our ambitions, and our fears.

The Freedom We're Searching For

Jesus addresses the universal struggle of humanity: anxiety and worry. In Matthew 6:25, He says, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor your body what you will put on."

Two thousand years ago, Jesus spoke these words to some of the poorest people on earth—people worried about basic necessities like food, water, and clothing. Yet here we are in one of the most affluent societies in human history, and we're still consumed with anxiety. We've simply added layers: health concerns, retirement planning, our children's futures, social issues, political turmoil, and the constant pressure of others' expectations.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: anxiety is the byproduct of misplaced hope and misplaced trust.

When we look to the things of this world—promotions, possessions, approval, security—to provide safety, significance, and satisfaction, we will live in constant anxiety. Why? Because the things of this world are uncertain. They were never designed to bear the weight of our ultimate hope.

We chase the promotion, thinking it will bring peace, only to worry about keeping it. We buy the house, then stress about affording it. We build the retirement fund, then watch the stock market with nervous anticipation. The more we accumulate, the more we have to worry about.

Jesus asks a rhetorical question in verse 27: "Which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to the span of life?" Anxiety has never fixed anything. In fact, medical science confirms that chronic stress and worry contribute to early death.

So what's the answer?

The antidote to anxiety and worry is the seek one life.

Think about the logic of this for a moment. When we refuse to surrender certain areas of our lives to God because we're anxious about them, we're essentially saying, "I—who have no authority over the universe, no power to control outcomes, and who can't even guarantee my next heartbeat—will manage this myself."

Meanwhile, we could be saying to the King of the universe—who loved us so much He gave His Son to die for us, who has all authority, and to whom everything already belongs—"I trust You with this. You have control."

Jesus reminds us in verse 32 that our "heavenly Father knows that you need them all." He's not just King; He's Father. We can entrust our children to Him, knowing He wants what's best for them. We can surrender our finances to Him, knowing everything is His anyway. We can give Him our calendars, our careers, our deepest fears—and experience the release that comes from trusting the One who holds all things.

The Purpose We're Longing For

But Jesus doesn't just offer freedom from anxiety. He offers something more: purpose.

In verse 25, Jesus asks another penetrating question: "Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?" Of course the answer is yes. But we live as if it's no. We get consumed with the next purchase, the next vacation, the next achievement—and it's never enough.

That new thing brings momentary satisfaction that quickly fades. The promotion feels good until we meet someone with a better title. We're constantly chasing, constantly grasping, never quite satisfied.

Jesus is saying, "There's more to life than these things that perish and fade."

He's inviting us to invest our lives in the one thing that's eternal: the kingdom of God. Everything else—the titles, the money, the houses, the achievements—will be forgotten. But the kingdom of God lasts forever.

The seek one life is an invitation to live a life that outlives you.

Consider the stories of those who achieved worldly success yet found themselves asking, "Is this all there is?" They had millions, fame, accomplishment—and still felt the gnawing sense that something was missing. There had to be more than this.

There is. It's called seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

The Invitation

So what does this mean practically? It means examining your life honestly. Look at your calendar for the past month. Audit your finances for the past year. Imagine a camera crew following you for 48 hours, capturing every private moment and conversation.

What would these reveal is the one thing that drives everything for you?

What you proclaim isn't necessarily what you practice. And what you practice reveals what truly has first place in your life.

The seek one life begins with dethroning whatever has taken Jesus's place and enthroning Him as King over every area. It means His mission becomes your mission. His priorities become your priorities. His agenda drives every decision.

And here's the beautiful promise: when Jesus is first, life works best. Not because everything becomes easy, but because we're finally living the way we were designed to live—under the loving reign of our King and Father who provides everything we need.

The question isn't whether you have one thing that drives everything. You do. The question is: what is it?

And the invitation is clear: seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.