Serving God
“Seek ye first my kingdom and my
righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.”--Matt. 6:33
What does it mean to “Seek ye first
my kingdom”? It means to put the building of God’s kingdom first in your life.
So, how does that look? Well, it means that spreading the Gospel is the most
important thing to you.
You tell people about Jesus
personally on a one to one basis. You tell people about Him publicly; and you
support ministries and missionaries that actively spread the Gospel. You have a
desire for people to get saved, and you step out in faith, to let the Spirit
work through you in doing that work.
On top of that, we support and
participate in Kingdom building activities, such as loving people, healing
people, helping people, protecting people, growing people, serving people and
feeding people. All of this is done in His name, and with an eye toward Kingdom
building. Not being fake, or having an ulterior motive; but being real in our
purposes. We want people to realize that there is a God who loves them and
wants them saved, and that process starts now in this world.
Now when I say this, it makes it
seem like I’m saying that you need to become a preacher, or go door to door, or
become a missionary. I’m not saying that. God has given each of us different
personalities, different gifts, and different callings on our lives. Build your
relationship with God, and step out to do the small things and you’ll be shown
by Him what directions to take. But, be real. You don’t have to take mission
trips, or go to seminary. But, when a friend or neighbor falls on tough times
are you there? Do you tell them about Jesus? Do you exercise your gifts at
work? Not being preachy or holier than thou, but someone that is approachable,
helpful, and keeps a confidence? I write, and witness to those folks God brings
me, and try to help when I can. It’s what I do.
What is “My Righteousness”? We are
made righteous, because we believe God. We believe what He has told us in His
Word. We believe what He has spoken to us in our hearts; and we believe He has
called us. We believe what He tells us about Jesus Christ, being the Lord, and
we confess Him as our Lord. We agree with God that we are sinners and need Him.
We believe our personal relationship
with Him; and the great things He has done in our lives. This causes us to live
rightly as He grows us. We study and live by His Word. We seek to grow our faith
and our relationship with Him. Not obeying rules, but growth through faith and
relationship. (Rom. 4:3)
“And all these things shall be added
unto you.” What things? The things we need, and even in many ways the true
desires of our hearts. God knows what all humans really need and want. He also
knows us personally. He is more than happy to provide these things. But, always
remember that our spiritual condition, our relationship with Him, and His
kingdom are paramount. Sometimes that will lead to great hardship.
God is not shocked when you desire
success or abundance or any of “these things”. But, as we seek His Kingdom and
His Righteousness; our desire for, and our definition of “These Things” starts
to change. We become humble. We become meek, like a wild horse broken and
trained for battle. We become less needy, because we have all in Him. We
succeed, but our success is not apart from Him. He is always at the forefront
of our minds and what we do.
Now when I say that, I’m not saying
we don’t sin. I’m not saying we don’t forget God. I’m saying that He is a
constant fixture in our lives, and grows in it. It’s a growth in Him. If you’re
not experiencing this, ask God to give you more of Himself and He will.
Terrible things happen in this life
and in this world. But, even in the midst of these situations or places. “Seek
ye first my Kingdom, and my righteousness, and all these things shall be added
unto you.” is a promise. It might not manifest the same in everybody or in
every situation. You might even be miserable for a while as He works things out
in your life. To be honest, there are believers who died serving Him, and being
in Him, long before any of “these things” manifested in their lives. But, I can
promise you they have “these things” today with Him. I can also bet that the
families they left behind were blessed.
But, like most of God’s promises it
requires faith to get started. Do you trust Him? Step out and start doing the
little things and begin to grow. He will lead you and guide you; just go. He
will move. It doesn’t matter where you are. Seek His kingdom and His
righteousness. Do it from a pure heart, wholeheartedly. If you can’t, then ask
Him to give you a clean heart, and help you to be pure in your motivations
toward Him and others.
Then watch your views of what “these
things” are change and turn to what He wants you to view them as. Your
relationship is with Him; no one else. We answer to Him. Build His kingdom, and
He will build yours.
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Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois. He has published in several magazines, and has written a poetry eBook called “Against the Man” and an Addiction Recovery eBook called “Made Free: Overcoming Addiction“ His newest book is called “The Future is Coming” and is a collection of dystopian short stories.
Follow Him on Medium: https://chris-bunton.medium.com/
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