Gospel Priority: Seeking First The Kingdom.
Read Matthew 6: 24-34.
“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6: 33).
In the everyday rhythms of this anxious and busy city how can we have peace?
If we try to seek first the kingdom of God without His righteousness, we will be self-righteous and religious, but we will miss the true King and His kingdom.
If we try to seek these additional things before the kingdom of God, they will become our kings and disappoint us with false promises.
If we try to build our mini-kingdoms by seeking the additional things, we will remain outside of His kingdom forever as outcasts!
If we make these additional things into ultimate things, and try to build our own kingdom, they will leave us empty and crush us in the end. These additional things that we seek apart from Him are the very source of our anxiety.
So how can we seek the Kingdom of God first and have peace?
Receive the greatest King who came to seek you first. Receive the King of kings who gave up all His wealth to seek and save you from sins that are destroying you.
Receive the King who gave His all to save you from your kingdom that was enslaving you with anxiety.
Receive the King who came to be the last even though He is the first, in order that you might be clothed with royal robe in His Kingdom.
Receive His righteousness and renounce yours. Let His righteousness be your security so that you can be free from the insecurity that these additional things bring. Let His righteousness free you from a heart of contempt.
Rest in His righteousness by repenting of your self-righteousness.
Receive His Kingdom and renounce your little kingdom. Align everything you do with His kingdom in mind. Say no to former priorities that were preventing you from entering His Kingdom. Say yes to the priorities that will help you seek His kingdom everyday. Reimagine your life and job as participation of His kingdom advance. Lastly, rest in His promise that “all these things will be added to you.”