The kingdom of God, also called kingdom of heaven, in Christianity, is the spiritual realm over which God reigns as King, or the fulfillment of God’s will on earth. God’s Kingdom is the reign of Jesus, the realm where Jesus ‘authority is acknowledged and obeyed. To seek God’s Kingdom is to desire Jesus ‘rule to be recognized and obeyed in three realms: (1) Within our own life, (2) In our circle of immediate influence, and (3) as far around the world as we can reach. What does it really mean to practically “seek first the kingdom” on a daily basis in the context of real life? Every single day comes jam-packed with things to worry about, if we are not careful, those matters will crowd our kingdom interest. By putting the kingdom first, the people could stay rightly aligned with God while still meeting their daily requirements.
During Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, sin separated humanity from the abundant provision of God and He cursed them with painful toil that required them working by the sweat of their brow (Genesis 3: 17 – 19). Then Jesus came with a new reality to reconcile humanity to the Father through His shed blood on the cross and restored us to the fullness of what it means to be sons and daughters of the King of the kingdom of God. A reality where every need is met in abundance, every right and privilege restored. What an amazing reality! What a good news!!
From the lead text for today, Matt. 6: 23 – 33; Jesus is teaching us how this kingdom works. He’s drawn a stark comparison between life in the Kingdom versus the life we are living now, where He says; “seek first “it is an invitation to a new reality of the Kingdom. It is an invitation into a life of sponsorship where provision comes because of who we are in Christ, not because of what you do! The God of the universe is offering provision of everything we need- not just spiritual, but our tangible, physical needs – if we will just seek His kingdom first. God’s provision flows out of His Kingdom to you as His child.
Even more specifically, to “seek first the kingdom” means to understand and embrace your unique design in God’s kingdom. The unique gifts and talents God equipped you with are designed to both bring your life to re-align with his purposes and to be used by God to release the transformative power of His Kingdom on earth. Walking in your assignment in God’s kingdom assures his favor and provision for your life.
Prayer:
* Father, in pursuit of my daily needs, help me to stay rightly aligned with you.
* Help me to live my life according to your purpose and to be a transformative agent to my generation
(revmrspatienceudenyi@hopealivechurch)