Have you ever wondered why Jesus commanded us to seek the kingdom of God first? And have you considered the many benefits this can bring into your life? Seeking the will of God and His kingdom is more than a command – it’s a journey that can lead to tremendous rewards.
In this article, we will explore those potential rewards while establishing why seeking God’s Kingdom should be at the centre of our lives.
Why is it important to seek the kingdom of God?
One of the most instructive admonitions Jesus gave to His disciples, and indirectly Christians today, for getting through life is seen in Matt. 6:33. Here, He urged us not to be like the Gentiles who are sorely concerned about material things; what they will eat, drink, and wear.
Instead, He asked us to place our focus on God and depend on the competence of God, as our Father, to provide and meet all of our needs.
He said, “To seek first the kingdom of God”. Seeking the kingdom of God is significant because it shows a sense of dependency on God and trusts in the competence of God as a providing Father. It as well draws you closer to God, which makes you able to hear him, know more about him, and learn to speak with him.
What does it mean to seek God first?
Seeking the Kingdom of God is Jesus’ way of telling us not to allow the cares of this world to sweep us off our feet. He’s saying that His disciples should seek and look forward to the reigning of Christ as the messiah: that is, Jesus Christ assuming authority over the world.
And by Christ taking up power as the triumphant Messiah, everyone in the world will be provided with the opportunity and access to be saved. This is because when that happens, every other thing they desire and crave will come to them naturally. God is your Father, He knows what you want even before you utter a word about it.
This is His way of telling you not to worry about anything because He cares and knows what you’re going through, and that He’s going to sort it out. All you have to do is just make him your priority, nothing else. So, to seek God first means to put him first in all that we do in our lives, and also, to accept him as king.
What are the benefits of seeking the kingdom of God?
What are the rewards for seeking after God? When you pursue God, you’re making Him the Lord and captain of your soul. That is, nothing else matters and counts outside of Him. Let’s see some benefits of seeking the kingdom of God:
- You begin to see yourself just as God has called you
- You grow a deeper relationship and intimacy with God.
- You understand and walk in God’s plan and will for your life.
- You build a boundless faith and confidence in the providence of God.
- You grow in grace, which is the knowledge of God.
What happens when you seek God?
When you seek God, you learn about the mysteries of the kingdom of God. And then, you can use that same knowledge that you’ve acquired to build your life and that of others.
What does the Bible say about seeking the kingdom of God?
There is no gainsaying that the kingdom of God has been the main theme of the message of Christ’s preaching, through which he declared openly God’s strong intervention and rule over the earth. The kingdom of God implies the action of God on behalf of humanity, and we can only see that action faultlessly in the person of Jesus and the things He did. This is because the kingdom of God is the very subject of the Gospel of Christ. And not only did Jesus completely announce the kingdom of God (Mark 1: 15), but rather he exemplified and personified it in an extraordinary way (Hebrews 1: 3).
How do we seek His kingdom?
You can seek the kingdom of God by setting your affection on things above this world. By not being easily driven by natural things. “Whatever a man holds dear to His heart is His priority”. If money is what you hold dear, money will no doubt be your utmost priority. Therefore, you seek God’s kingdom by making Him the crux of everything you are and will ever be. The Bible says, “In Him, we find our very essence and life (Galatians 2:21)”. Make Him your focus.
How do you seek God with all your heart?
You seek God with all your heart by living your life as someone who is under the supervision and sovereignty of God. And also, recognise Him as your saviour because God, through Christ, was the one who saved and accepted you into His kingdom. This is why the Apostle Paul emphasized the fact that you must live a life pleasing to God and walk “worthy of God, who has called you unto his kingdom and glory” (1 Thessalonians 2:11).
What did Jesus teach about the kingdom of God?
Mark 1:14-15, Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Jesus went on to preach, saying, the fulfilment of the age has come, and that the kingdom of God is about to be established through his suffering and glorification.
He taught them that it is about time for the world to experience what they’ve heard of and were expecting in its fullness.
And He asked them to turn back from their ways and change their heart to believe the message He’s teaching and put their trust in the hope-filled gospel!”
What is the kingdom of God according to Matthew?
Matthew 6:33 says, but seek ye first the “kingdom of God”, and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. The word kingdom is the Greek word basileia, which means royal power, kingship, dominion, or rule. It refers to the royal power of Jesus and His reign as the triumphant Messiah. Hence, the kingdom of God alternatively implies the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is the gospel. The reign of Christ started after His resurrection. (See Matthew 28: 18)
What did Paul say about the kingdom of God?
The Apostle Paul refers to the kingdom of God as one that transcendent nature. He saw it as a realm that exceeds death and history: (1 Corinthians 15:50) “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God”. Likewise, in his admonition to the church at Corinth, he characterized the Kingdom of God as the habitation of believers where joy, peace, and justice are expressed in the Spirit. (Romans 14:17).
For God is the one who delivered us from the captivity of the devil, sin and darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son, Jesus Christ. (Colossians 1: 13). Hence, Paul says we are to live our life within the kingdom of God under the lordship and authority of Christ.
What is meant by “the kingdom of God is within you”?
In Luke 17 verses 20 to 22, a Jewish sect leader asked Jesus, “When the kingdom of God will be established?” Then, Jesus responded by saying, “The kingdom of God doesn’t come by observation, not ocular evidence. For the Kingdom of God is within you”. The literal explanation of this term will mean that the kingdom of God is inside of you.
However, the original translation of the word “within you” reads “among you”. Therefore, when you carefully observe the context, Jesus wasn’t referring to the kingdom of God dwelling in the hearts of men, but He refers to it as a person, Himself dwelling amidst men.
What are the seven ways to seek the kingdom of God?
Jesus Christ, in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 6, instructs us to seek first the kingdom. How then do you do this, and what are the days you can do that on a daily? Let’s look at seven (7) ways you can seek the kingdom of God:
- Make studying God’s word a lifestyle
- Pray consistently with growing weary.
- Be passionate about saving the unsaved.
- Do not forsake the gathering of the saint.
- Be interested in the growth of other believers.
- Have compassion towards the needy and helpless.
- Allow God to have preeminence over your life.
Conclusion
When a man seeks the kingdom of God, he leans and trusts in the redemptive work of God in Christ. You are giving up the leadership of your life and will to God as the commander. And you’re ready to abide by and make Him a priority. Choose to seek after God: because no one ever seeks the kingdom of God and regrets it.
