Cinnamon rolls are a special treat at my house, something that only happens a few times a year. This is not only because they’re a little labor intensive, but also because they aren’t very good for you, even if made with whole wheat, which I often do.
The bread part is as nutritious as any other bread, but the extra sugar in the filling and glaze only adds empty calories, and even the cinnamon, though flavorful, doesn’t add to the nutritional value of the rolls.
Cinnamon and sugar taste good, they’re fun to eat, but put them on a plate by themselves and they don’t make much of a breakfast. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus reminds us that most of the things we get caught up in chasing in our lives are basically cinnamon and sugar.
“For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:32-33, NASB)
God is the bread in our lives that will sustain us. Everything else, even food and clothing, the “things” Jesus spoke about, is just topping.
I’m a grownup now. I could buy a whole tub of frosting and eat it for breakfast if I wanted to. When I was a kid, that’s exactly what I dreamed of doing. But I never do it, because I know it would lead to a huge sugar crash and a day of feeling rotten.
Sometimes I forget that about other things, though. It’s easy to get caught up in being busy with the things of the world and forget to seek God. In the New Year, I need to remember that God, His righteousness, and His kingdom are my top priorities, not frosting.
There is also a promise here: “and all these things will be added to you”. Not all of the sugar-coated candy shop dreams we could desire, but all that we need will be provided if we seek the Bread first.