Seek First: Wholeheartedly
Last week we were reminded of Jesus’ powerful invitation: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness”(Matthew 6:33). But that raises an important question—how do we seek God?
Scripture is clear. God is not only interested in whether we seek Him, but how we seek Him. And again and again, the Bible gives the same answer: we are called to seek God wholeheartedly.
God has always wanted the whole heart.
Not a portion.
Not a polite nod.
Not the leftovers of our time and energy.
Jesus said it plainly: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.”That is wholehearted devotion—and that’s the heart behind this theme: Seek First: Wholeheartedly.
God Doesn’t Want Our Leftovers
After Christmas, many of us survive for days on leftovers. Turkey sandwiches, turkey curry, cheese, and whatever else was still lurking in the fridge. Leftovers are fine—for a while. But eventually there comes a moment when you open the fridge, look inside, and think, “I’ve had enough now. This has been sitting here too long.”
Sometimes, without even realising it, we treat God like leftovers.
He gets the spare moments.
The leftover energy.
The distracted prayers.
The rushed worship.
The scraps of our attention.
A quick prayer here.
A passing thought there.
A “help me” prayer when things go wrong.
And yet God has never settled for leftovers—because He has never given us leftovers.
Lamentations 3:22–23 reminds us:
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”
Every day God meets us with fresh mercy.
Fresh grace.
Fresh compassion.
Fresh strength.
Nothing second-hand. Nothing worn out. Nothing left over from yesterday.
If we long to experience the fullness of God’s presence and blessing—if we want to live from a place shaped by His presence—then we must seek Him, wholeheartedly.
What Does “Wholehearted” Actually Mean?
When the Bible talks about the heart, it’s not just talking about feelings or emotions. In Hebrew, the word lev (heart) appears over 800 times and refers to the control centre of a person.
The heart is where:
- thoughts are formed
- desires are shaped
- decisions are made
- loyalties are chosen
- moral direction is set
To seek God wholeheartedly means turning the entire centre of who we are toward Him.
It means:
- My thoughts are shaped by Him
- My desires are surrendered to Him
- My decisions honour Him
- My affections are ordered by Him
Nothing held back.
Nothing reserved.
Nothing hidden.
A divided heart, however, is a heart with competing loyalties—and competing loyalties always lead to inner conflict.
Charles Spurgeon once said:
“A united heart is a happy heart… Men who are neither this nor that are always uneasy and miserable… Wholehearted devotion leads to peace.”
Wholehearted faith brings peace.
Half-hearted faith brings turmoil.
Wholehearted Seeking Is About Direction, Not Perfection
Here’s the good news: seeking God wholeheartedly is not about being perfect—it’s about direction.
The Bible is full of imperfect people who sought God with their whole hearts.
Take King Amaziah. Scripture says, “He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly” (2 Chronicles 25:2). On the surface, he looked faithful. He worshipped God. He prayed. He experienced victory. But his heart became divided. He began to give his devotion to other gods alongside the Lord.
In our culture, idols rarely look like statues. Instead, they often look like:
- comfort
- control
- success
- approval
- security
- money
- self
Tim Keller defines an idol this way:
“Anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God.”
Amaziah didn’t stop believing in God—he just stopped being wholehearted. His obedience became selective, and his direction shifted.
Now contrast that with King David.
David failed—spectacularly at times. He sinned deeply. But when confronted, he repented. He turned back to God and prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God.” That’s why he’s called a man after God’s own heart—not because he was perfect, but because his direction was always toward God.
Wholehearted faith isn’t about flawlessness. It’s about repentance, realignment, and returning to God again and again.
Wholehearted Seeking Means Declaring Jesus Is Lord
One of the clearest pictures of wholehearted faith is found in Matthew 8, in the story of the Roman centurion.
This man—an officer of the Roman Empire—approaches Jesus and begins with a single word: “Lord.”
That word matters.
In the Roman world, Kyrios (Lord) was a title reserved for Caesar. To call Jesus “Lord” wasn’t polite religious language—it was a shift of allegiance.
This centurion understands authority. He recognises that Jesus doesn’t just have power—He has ultimate authority. He trusts Jesus completely and submits fully.
Jesus is astonished. He turns to the crowd and says, “I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.”
Why? Because wholehearted faith says:
- One Lord
- One authority
- One allegiance
You can admire Jesus.
You can ask Jesus for help.
But wholehearted faith declares: “Jesus, You are Lord of my whole life.”
Not just Sunday.
Not just my words.
But my everyday decisions, priorities, and direction.
Seek First—Wholeheartedly
God doesn’t want fragments of your life.
He doesn’t want what’s left over.
He wants all of you—because He gave all of Himself for you.
This year, may we be a people who choose to seek first—not casually, not occasionally—but wholeheartedly.
Jesus, You are Lord.
Applicational Questions
- Where in my life might I be offering God leftovers rather than my best?
- Are there any competing loyalties or “functional idols” pulling my heart away from wholehearted devotion?
- When I fail or fall short, do I turn back to God quickly—or pull away in shame?
- In my daily decisions, what truly has first place—God’s kingdom or my own comfort and control?
- What would change this week if I consciously declared, “Jesus, You are Lord of every part of my life”?