On my way home from dropping off a package at the post office today, I saw one of those billboard signs at a tiny rural church that said “Seek Christ First in 2021.”
Whenever I see old-school placard signs like that, I can’t help but picture some poor, little old church lady having to sift through a jumble of “E’s”, “C’s”, and an occasional “Q” to put together the message. Aren’t we living in the 21st Century? Hasn’t she heard of electronic billboards? Sigh. But, I digress.
This is not the sign I saw, but I appreciate whoever put this one up!
The sign got me thinking, though, about a passage I read recently. You might know it. It goes like this:
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33 – NIV).
I like the New Living Translation a lot, too, which really breaks it down into even simpler terms:
Save this as your phone wallpaper as a reminder to Seek First the Kingdom this week.
Man, that verse has a lot to unpack. Seeking the Kingdom first. What does that even mean? What is the Kingdom of God? What does it mean to seek it? And not only that, what does it mean to seek it FIRST?
When I think about the Kingdom of God, I tend to think of an external kingship. In my mind, it’s where:
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- God is King – He is given ultimate rule and authority
- Earthly systems mimic how things operate in heaven (Matthew 6:10)
- Christ reigns here on earth (Mark 14:25)
BUT surprisingly, while looking into this more, I found the following verses that show it’s really more about something internal:
Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.“– Luke 17:20-21
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval. – Romans 14:17-18.
So that’s what this is really all about – the Kingdom is already here, and it looks like right living, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Are you giving God’s Kingdom first priority in your life? Or is it taking a backseat to:
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- your ambitions at work?
- your relationship with your spouse or significant other?
- your children?
- just one more episode of whatever Netflix show you’re currently bingeing?
- a new fad diet or miracle product that will cure what ails you?
- popular lifestyle trends promising you “new life” if you just subscribe to whatever ideology they’re selling (cough, minimalism, cough)?
How can we seek God’s Kingdom first this year?
For me, seeking the Kingdom first means dropping all my worries about this blog, the pandemic, and my future, and letting this be a place where Jesus is Lord and His name is proclaimed (and hopefully glorified if I don’t get in the way!). Where I let go of my ambitions and define my success or failure based on how God sees me. The rest is all gravy.
I’m praying for you this week, that the Holy Spirit would show you exactly what you need to do to seek the Kingdom first in your own life. And I’m praying that you would be bold to follow through on it. I’ve created the scripture verse image above – feel free to use it as your desktop wallpaper or as the lock screen on your phone to remind you to pray for direction this week. If I can pray for you or help encourage you in some way, let me know in the comments section below!
Coming up:
Wednesday: All About Seeds! Choosing Varieties and Deciphering Seed Packets
Next Sunday: Where are you planted?
