Seek First the Kingdom of God

We all have dreams. No, not the dreams we have when we sleep. The other kind of dreams. The ones where we want to do something big. We want to make a name for ourselves, be a great parent, or start something totally new. We’re trained very early on to think about this. We ask our kids all the time, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
Then there are dreams, that are God-given dreams. Something God has placed in your heart. You can’t explain it, but you know it’s something that you must do.
Unfortuntely the circumstances of life can steal away our attention. After a while, we look around and ask ourselves, “How did I get here?”
Jesus knew this would be a problem. So in Matthew 6:25-34, he addresses all the things we worry about in life. Our clothes, our food, our children, our homes. He guarantees that our Heavenly Father will take care of all these things for us, if we do this one little thing.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

Jesus is talking about order. He wants us to put God first in everything we do. The thing is though, that’s not always easy, but living out our dreams are never easy, if it were, everyone would do it. So, here are some ways to seek first the Kingdom of God.

1. Pray continually. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says it all. We can’t go through life just praying before meals. It’s every step, every decision, every interaction. Billy Graham was once asked if you could do it all over again what would you do differently and he said, “Pray more.” If a hero of the faith like that needs to pray more, how much more should we pray? When we pray, it doesn’t have to long or glamorous. You don’t have to use big words, or speak in KJV. It can be small short sentence under your breath before a difficult phone call. It can be a part of mental preparation before a meeting. It can be a small request before you drop your kids off for school. The point is to pray. Talk to God and listen for the response.
2. Study the Bible. God very easily could have just let us live out our lives and figure it out, but He didn’t, because he loves us. He gave us the Bible to show us who He is, why he created us, how we should live. He showed us where we fit into the big picture of space and time. If we want to seek first God’s Kingdom, then we should read about it every day. James says
   
   

   Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. James 1:22-25

   James gives us a very clear picture of what to do with God’s word. Do what it says. We are blessed today with God’s word being free and accessible in multiple translations. James and the first Christians didn’t. We should take advantage of it.
3. Worship God. Romans 12:1 says,”Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” The best way to seek first God’s kingdom is to worship, both corporately and individually. It’s more than singing a few songs. It’s in our families, our work, our finances, every aspect of our lives. This is what Paul means to be a living sacrifice. Dedicate your tasks to God. Work to bring God glory in everything you do.

Seeking first the Kingdom of God requires discipline. I’ll be honest in that I don’t follow this list everyday. However, as long as we’re consistent, we may just look around and ask ourselves, “How did I get here?” Then we will be able to look back and see God’s blessing as we live out His dreams for us.

What’s your dream?