Seek First the Kingdom of God

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

One definition of seek is to inquire or search carefully for something. To seek something means you desire to know, and you crave after it. Do you have a strong desire for God’s kingdom and righteousness?

We say we put God first in our lives, but do we really? First means before family, before friends, before work, before dreams and aspirations, before businesses, before it all. Before the networking, before the social media influencing, and before the self-help books and counseling we search for advice and coaching.

God’s kingdom is different from the kingdom the world is trying to build. God’s kingdom is built on values that represent who He is. When we are building God’s kingdom, we are selfless, loving, patient and kind. We are operating in the world’s kingdom when we encourage hate, darkness, and deceit.

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. Galatians 5:19-25

God’s kingdom is sometimes referred to as the “upside down kingdom” because it is completely opposite of what is considered the “norm”. In his kingdom, true leaders are servants, the last are first, there is joy in suffering, and others come before oneself. The gate to the kingdom is narrow, instead of wide. It is in God’s kingdom that we leave the familiar and step into what he has for us. We worry less about the things of this earth, and more about eternity. Our main goal changes from how we can live comfortably on earth, to how we can make sure Heaven is crowded. We realize our main purpose on earth is for God’s glory not our own.

 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:13-14

Putting God first doesn’t come naturally for us. We get caught up in the day-to-day rhythm and things begin to compete for priority in our lives. We have to make the decision daily, that we will seek Him first.

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23

As we begin to shift our focus to God’s kingdom, our hearts start to align with His. We no longer are self-seeking and selfish, we instead become focused on God’s bigger plan and desire the will of God for our lives. When we seek first the kingdom of God, he promises to provide and add all that we need. Normally when we seek after God, we are looking for answers, healing, and clarity. It’s easy to seek him for what he can do for us, but how often do we seek him for who he is to us? God wants us to know him personally. (For this reason we learn to seek his heart instead of his hand. That’s a whole blog alone🙃) He doesn’t want us to be so weighed down by the worries of life, that we don’t leave space for him to show us his goodness. He wants to exchange our anxieties for his everlasting peace.

Taste and see that the Lord is good;blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.Fear the Lord, you his holy people,for those who fear him lack nothing.The lions may grow weak and hungry,but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. Psalm 34:8-10

God wants to make sure that we understand that he is the source. When we seek his kingdom, we put our worries, desires, and needs to the side to pursue things that point to his righteousness. Righteousness is a gift given by God that cannot be taken away by man, but also cannot be given by man. By human definition, to be righteous means you are morally true and in right standing in regard to behavior with the cultural standard. But according to the word of God, righteousness is a gift because none of us can be fully free of sin, so we receive it by faith in Jesus.

There are many ways that we can seek the Lord. We seek him through prayer, through His word, during our quiet time before him, through worship, and community. We also seek his face when we walk in obedience and repentance. As we continue to seek him, He will make known to us his presence, his purpose, and his power.

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

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