Matthew 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
It has been said that you can tell a person’s priorities by looking at their checkbook and their calendar. Today if a crew of experts were to take time to analyze these sources in your life what would they discover? Would they determine that you even know Jesus? What about your journals, if you journal? Would they demonstrate about your life’s priorities. This is a good exercise to do on a regular basis. Most people say that most of their days are spent seeking God first. However, they make thousands of decisions daily that simply do not take God into consideration.
Seeking God first starts with your thought life. When you roll out of bed, do you quickly grab your mobile device and see the latest events in the news and on your social media feeds? Is that how you seek first the Kingdom of God? What does your prayer life look like? Is it mechanical or is it exciting? Think about what prayer is. Prayer is a communion, a conversation, an interaction with the King of Kings. It is certain that you have heard such things before, but do you take it seriously. This is your chance to gain wisdom and compassion that is out of this world. You can also receive correction and rebuke on the choices we have made in our lives. While some of the kings of Judah and Israel were blatantly evil, others were judged as bad kings because they made bad treaties. What kind of treaties have you made with this world? Seek first His righteousness.
Do not seek to simply know about God, seek to know Him. When you pray get alone with Him and confess, plead, draw close to Him. We get to know Him by spending time in His Word. While I recommend reading, it is really a choice to engage with the Words. Listen to the heart of the creator. Mediate on His Words. What is He saying? How will what I am reading right now impact the rest of my day. When I engage the heart of God I feel His love for me. I will discover a resiliency that I never knew existed. I will discover purpose and hope that is unimaginable. But this can only happen when I seek Him first. Seek the Kingdom of God.
Do not seek your own Kingdom. There are many little kingdoms in our work, church or communities. It seems that everyone wants the perks of kingship but few want the responsibilities. When we submit to His Kingdom than the responsibilities are His. But our submission will require us to give up the keys to our meager castles. Seek first His Kingdom!
