Why Seek the Kingdom FIRST?

Anxiety is the plague of this century. People don’t know how to discipline their mind and control their thoughts. They’re at the mercy of the media. Therefore they live in fear, and have frequent anxiety attacks. Why? Because when you start worrying, the devil gets a hold of your mind and can spin it just about every which way. The same as when you’re plagued with jealousy, anger, bitterness, you then have no control over your thoughts. We were not created to manage negative emotions. Our mind spins out of control and causes our body to stress which causes maladies.

That’s why Jesus insisted on this one priority: “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”  (Mt 6:33). When you think on the things of God, and focus on trusting, then God provides peace, joy, love, and all the other gifts of the Spirit. (Gal 5:22).

At the re-birth, we’ve been re-created in His image. We now have the mind of Christ. We’re ambassadors of God on earth. And we’ve been given the Spirit of God to guide us in our every move. We’re to use the talents and gifts God gives us to grow the kingdom. “Seek first the kingdom” means focus totally and only on enforcing the kingdom of God in your life. “All good gifts come from God”, and for His purpose.

Jesus taught a basic principle to help us manage the kingdom. He said, “don’t worry about food and raiment, for after all these things do the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.” (Mat 6:32). That means, don’t fret, don’t stress, don’t fear.

Our thoughts have to be constantly on the Kingdom of God because whatever we magnify in our thoughts, whatever we focus on, we become the slave of. “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? (Rom 6:16).

Our thoughts are very important. They will ultimately define our destiny. James says that our tongue is the rudder of our boat, what we speak, we become. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Mt 24:34b). Meaning that our thoughts become our speech and our speech becomes our destiny. It all starts with our thoughts. That’s why Jesus kept repeating, “Take no thought, don’t worry, don’t fret, don’t be anxious, don’t fear, don’t focus on tomorrow’s problems, focus on the kingdom.” (Mt 8:26; Mk 4:40; Mk5:36; Lk 12: 4,5; Lk 12:32; Jn14:27; Jn 16:33). 

This principle of not worrying about tomorrow is all throughout God’s Word.  God tells us to stay fixed on what He says: “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” (Joshua 1:8,9).

God told the children of Israel, when they were in the wilderness, to pick up manna for one day only or it would rot. (See Exodus 16). Why? He wants us to trust in His provision. God was angry when they picked up for two days and told Moses, “When will you start trusting Me?” He provides our daily bread, daily.

Yes, we are supposed to plan, but only as a farmer plans for his harvest by sowing seeds. But we are not supposed to worry and be anxious. Jesus gave so many parables explaining how the Kingdom of God operates. And most of the parables that He gave about money were over the fact that we are supposed to be good stewards, managers of what God gives us in terms of gifts, talents, or provisions. We are God’s representatives on earth. We’re His managers of the kingdom on earth.

If you were a king, needing to manage the affairs of the kingdom every day, would you be constantly thinking about your next meal or what you’ll be wearing? No, you’d be focusing on the more important affairs of the kingdom. That’s why Jesus said, “Take no thought about your needs…” (Mt 6:31-34).  Life is more than that, more than what? –More than worrying about your petty needs. If we say we love God, we must trust Him. Love and trust reinforce each other.