Each day we are faced with a number of decisions to make. Some of them appear to be straightforward such as brushing our teeth, taking a bath, going to work and preparing to the best of our ability for our responsibilities in church, at work and/or at home. When driving, we are faced with at least two options - obey traffic laws or drive faster disregarding the speed limit and risk being caught by the police. It's all about choices, right?
In making choices, it is important to have the right frame of mind or mindset. If we do not have the right mindset for each moment of the day, danger lurks round the corner. Decisions based on wishful thinking and/or emotions/feelings will lead us into a quagmire of chaos and confusion. How can we have the right frame of mind? We are admonished in Scripture to seek, aim for, strive after God's Kingdom and His righteousness. Why?
Let's examine what 'God's kingdom and His righteousness' means. God's Kingdom literally means His rule and reign. It is not a physical kingdom but it encompasses all that pertains to God for in that kingdom God is KING.
"...for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17)
"Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:" (Hebrews 12:14)
It therefore follows that seeking God's Kingdom is really about living a life in which God is the Boss. In such a life, God is fully in charge. When you come to think about it, it is the best policy because God knows us better than we know ourselves. What about those who say they do not believe in God? Well believing or disbelieving are choices. No one is advocating blind faith here, rather it is about faith in the living God, the Alpha and Omega, the Great I AM, the omnipotent God, Jehovah who is unchangeable. His Words are yea and amen and are settled in Heaven. He is incomparable, the Creator of the whole universe; He has the whole world in His hands. Furthermore He is perfect; there isn't an iota of sin in Him for He is holy. God exists and is alive forevermore. He was, is, and will ever be. No wonder the Bible says
God can only be approached according to His standards not ours. Therefore His rule and reign (Kingdom) manifested in our lives must be demonstrated by holiness and righteousness (basically living right according to God's laws). Righteous living is not relative, it is absolute. God's righteousness 5000 years ago is still His righteousness today because God has not changed and He will never change.
Just imagine what the world would be like if we all followed this simple rule: Seek first God's Kingdom and His righteousness. The world would experience peace, joy, agape love and fathomless humility. Incredible! Wars would cease; hatred, envy, sexual immorality, murder, discrimination, intolerance, tribalism, nepotism would vanish. The right decisions would be made and everyone would be fruitful. Think about it. All that God stands for would be evident in our lives. And we will worship Him in the beauty of holiness. Our needs would be supplied; there would be no lack. Wouldn't that be utopia?
Putting God's Kingdom first demonstrates acceptance of the simple fact that we are incapable of managing our affairs and as Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)
Without Jesus, we can do nothing but with Him we can do all things (Philippians 4:13). Even when we think we are on top of our responsibilities, we need the input of the Holy Spirit. With God in charge, we have nothing to fear or worry about. Without God, chaos ensues.
It makes a lot of sense doing the will of God. Right at the beginning, God's will for man was beneficial for man and literally the best option and that has not changed. The Bible says, "Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." (Genesis 1:27-28)
A refusal to seek God's Kingdom and His righteousness results in disaster. Expecting the benefits of God's Kingdom whilst living contrary to His rules and commands is a contradiction in terms. One of the things that really stands out when considering this simple command is that it stipulates a scale of priorities which makes a lot of sense. If I decided to have a bath or shower fully dressed, questions would be raised about my mental state. To take a bath or shower, one must first of all dispose of all clothing in order to derive the full benefits. Similarly in order to benefit from a relationship with God we must "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,"
Will you do that today? The choice is yours and the ball is in your court. Remember we do not seek first the gifts, we seek the Giver. We develop an intimate relationship with God in order to be what He created us to be. I pray that you will heed the Word of God, obey and put it into practice. That is the only way forward. Have a blessed day.
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