KEY TEXT: John 6:27 (KJV) – “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for Him hath God the Father sealed.”
The people sought Jesus, not because they truly understood the significance of His miracles, but because they wanted more physical provision (John 6:26). Though they had witnessed His power in the feeding of the loaves, their pursuit was driven more by the desire to be filled again than by faith in who He was. Yet, their effort to find Him, from Tiberias to Capernaum (John 6:23-25), shows how determined people can be when seeking temporary benefits rather than eternal truth.
They used all that effort to look for Jesus because they were seeking temporary food. They were not interested in knowing more about Jesus or attaining eternal life. Food is a necessity. God created us in a way that we need to eat. Human beings cannot naturally stay for many days without eating and drinking. Jesus Christ understands this because He is the One who made us that way. However, He tells us to look beyond temporary things.
Almost everyone in this world labors for temporary things. The average person’s primary purpose of work is to put food on the table. Paying rent (shelter) and wearing clothes are other basic needs that we often labor for. This has caused many to be in an endless cycle of working so hard just to fulfill their basic needs. One starts working at the age of eighteen or twenty-five and retires at the age of 60, 65, or 70, with the single goal of meeting their basic needs.
Jesus tells us that our labors need to go beyond the focus on temporary things. Basic needs should not be the main goal. Instead, they should be necessities that enable us to achieve a higher purpose. For example, you need a ticket to use public transport to reach your desired destination. Your goal is the desired destination and not the ticket. The ticket is important, but it is supposed to get you to your next destination. Food, shelter, and clothing are like tickets that get us to our desired destination. You can’t keep on thinking about your ticket all the time; you only show it to the person responsible when you need to show it. Therefore, you cannot keep on thinking about food, shelter, and clothing all the time. You only use them when you need to use them as you pursue the larger purpose that God has given you.
Matthew 6:25 (KJV) – “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?”
Jesus told His followers (converted people) not to think about what they should eat, drink, or wear. He told them not to keep worrying about material things. Many occupy their minds with the thoughts of material things. We are always thinking of how we are going to get that next promotion. How are we going to pay school fees for our kids? How are we going to provide food for ourselves and our families? How are we going to get money to buy a new phone or pay for a vacation trip?
Matthew 6:31-32 (KJV) – “31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? Or, What shall we drink? Or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.”
Jesus proceeds to tell His followers that the Gentiles (unbelievers) are the ones who are always seeking temporary things. Unbelievers seek lowly things because they do not know higher things. They seek material things because they do not know spiritual things. They seek the temporary because they possess no knowledge of the eternal. The mind of the believer needs to be higher, as it is connected to the mind of the highest One.
In John 6:27, Jesus told those men not to work for temporary food but to work for food that endures. He told the woman at the well that He can give her living water, which is much better than the water at the well (John 4:10). We should work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12) by seeking Jesus, the possessor of eternal riches and life.
Proverbs 23:4 (KJV) – “Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.”
Proverbs 23:4 (AMP) – “Do not weary yourself [with the overwhelming desire] to gain wealth;
Cease from your own understanding of it.”
We often labor to be rich so that we can afford to purchase the things we want. Many Christians violate the Sabbath and fail to give God time so that they can put food on their tables.
“God’s law is the law of love. He has surrounded you with beauty to teach you that you are not placed on earth merely to delve for self, to dig and build, to toil and spin, but to make life bright and joyous and beautiful with the love of Christ—like the flowers, to gladden other lives by the ministry of love.” – Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, Page 97.3, Ellen G. White.
Our purpose for labor should go beyond temporal satisfaction. Our purpose for labor should be to lead someone else closer to Jesus Christ, who would lead them to eternal life. When we have such a high purpose in mind, we won’t engage in office politics. Pride, envy, and selfishness won’t be the driving motives in our actions at work. We will love our fellow workers as God loves them. We won’t see anyone as a competitor, but we will see them as fellow collaborators in God’s vineyard.
Not everyone in your workplace or business environment is a believer. You might even be the only one. It is upon you, as a Christian, to do your best to change the atmosphere around you. Start by changing your mindset.
Matthew 6:33 (KJV) – “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
“He who has given you life knows your need of food to sustain it. He who created the body is not unmindful of your need of raiment. Will not He who has bestowed the greater gift bestow also what is needed to make it complete?” – Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, Page 95.2, Ellen G. White.
God is the Creator of the temporal and the eternal, the Creator of the material and the spiritual, the Creator of heaven and earth. Seek His kingdom FIRST, and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
GOD BLESS YOU!
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Help me not to live only for what perishes, but to seek what endures unto eternal life. Teach me to set my mind on Your kingdom above all things. Give me a heart that desires You more than temporary provision, and guide my daily work toward Your higher purpose.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Activity
“Seek First” Reset (5 minutes):
Before you start your day, pause and:
- Read Matthew 6:33 slowly
- Write down one eternal priority (e.g., prayer, sharing faith, encouraging someone)
- Take one small action toward it that day
This trains your mind to prioritize eternal purpose over temporary needs.
Author: Mark Alex
BUY MY EBOOK: A FAITH FUELED LIFE: I RUN ON FAITH AND I’M NEVER RUNNING LOW
A FAITH FUELED LIFE: I RUN ON FAITH AND I’M NEVER RUNNING LOW (Amazon): https://amzn.to/4atSjuO
A FAITH FUELED LIFE: I RUN ON FAITH AND I’M NEVER RUNNING LOW (Google Play): https://bit.ly/4i9fXQp
Email: gettruthgetlife@gmail.com
Phone Number: +254710633247
My LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-alex-0b87a9109/
PayPal: gettruthgetlife@gmail.com
Revolut: revolut.me/markalex92
Get Truth Get Life 
Leave a comment