Daily bread represents all those things we will need each day in order to be able to live the human life. There is the world’s way of getting our daily needs met and there is the system of God for getting these daily needs met. The world system USES people to get money, possessions, positions, popularity, prestige, power, pleasure, and accomplishments. Jesus is taking you into God’s system for getting all your human needs met. God’s system USES money, possessions, positions, popularity, prestige, power, pleasure, and accomplishments to help people.

We have discussed the principle of praying and ASKING God for things; here is a SEEKING principle: Mat 6:31-33 (NIV) So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But SEEK first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these THINGS will be given to you as well. This gets our eyes off of THINGS onto how we treat ourselves, others, and God’s plan BEFORE we get these THINGS.

Phil 4:19 (NIV) And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. If you do what it takes to meet your own needs, then it will be according to the riches that are available through the world system. If you get God involved, then your supply will be based on what God can do. He knows what is the best career, the best job opportunity, and the best business procedures. Plus, He will prosper you, if you trust Him to guide you.

But seek FIRST His kingdom and His righteousness: God’s way deals with you concentrating on His Kingdom and His righteousness; that means YOU get worked on first. Rather than you just working on your career, your retirement plan, your money making skills, and your own personal interests, you FIRST work on only doing good to yourself, other people, and God’s plan; that’s righteousness. It makes YOU into a wonderful and dynamic person. A person that is able to get large quantities of friends, finances, blessings, healings, and help.

When someone asks you WHO you are, do you think about what career you have developed and are using to accomplish your goals and get your needs met? Do you say, I AM a doctor, a lawyer, a nurse, a pilot, a truck driver, a contractor, or some other professional? Does your job or career defines who you are? Do you allow it to decide where you have to put your time, effort, and money? Have you MOSTLY worked on BECOMING a skilled, trained, and experienced person in a field of labor?

Rom 12:6 (NIV) We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

Few people think of their career being defined and set by God; but, Jesus gives it to you so you can have a career and be a professional in His body. However, John 15:1-17 sets our goals to be a person who bears fruit; if our goal is to be a person who earns a living, then our goals are different from God’s goals for us.

Earning money, getting ahead, working our way to the top, setting up a retirement plan, and being financially successful are all secondary. God sees us working out in the world so we can help people “make a living.” But He wants us to do that by using and teaching His system for getting their daily needs met. If we “bear fruit,” we will lead people into joining Jesus in shaping people’s lives. They will be righteous doctors, lawyers, nurses, pilots, truck drivers, contractors, or some other professional.

Is it possible for you to put God and His plans for you first in your life and still be able to have all you needs met? Does God’s system of “SEEKING first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these THINGS will be given to you as well” really work? How do you feel about it; do you feel comfortable with putting God’s Kingdom and righteousness as a priority over everything else you do? If not, then this is an area where you need to spend a lot of time praying.

If you are willing to start letting God influence you as to which job you will take, what positions you will accept, how much time you will spend working, and how you treat yourself and others when “earning a living,” then pray these words: “Give us today our daily bread.” Now ask God to show you how to use this God-career to help you lead people into “earning a living” by involving themselves in win/win situations.