Seeking the Kingdom
One of my intentional themes for this year is taken from Matthew 6:33: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” I decided that throughout the year, I wanted to focus on that command to seek first the kingdom of God. But what does that look like? How do I seek the kingdom of God?
The thing is that it’s very easy to get distracted by the things in life, from the major to the mundane. Between doing good work, to raising kids, to investing in relationships, to the laundry list of things that need to get done (including laundry), seeking the kingdom can be hard.
Jesus points to that in this passage. If you were to open your Bible to Matthew 6, just before these verses, he talks about the danger of finding our righteousness in generosity, prayer and fasting. Then he talks about the false idol of money. Then he talks about worrying about the little things in life, like what you will eat or wear. His solution: “Seek first the kingdom and his righteousness.” According to Jesus, when we seek the kingdom first, all these other things will fall into place.
Richard Foster comments on this passage: “Focus upon the kingdom produces the inward reality, and without the inward reality we will degenerate into legalistic trivia. Nothing else can be central…The person who does not seek the kingdom first does not seek it at all.”[1]
But what does that look like? For the first five months of the year, I felt like I was constantly reminding myself to pause and seek first God’s kingdom. I felt uncertain about how to do it. I felt like I needed to move to a mountaintop, away from anything that might compete with my kingdom seeking to focus my thoughts. I found that seeking the kingdom was hard work.
My perspective changed last month on a trip to France. Not quite a mountaintop, but still a lovely place to pause and reflect. The trip was a once in a lifetime type experience that included a retreat with a group of women, time in Paris with two of my closest friends, and time of solitude the city. It was beautiful and wonderful, with great conversations, great food, a great time to reflect on my own.
The trip ended with a trip to Bordeaux to be part of a partnership conversation between our denomination and a French denomination. I don’t know how I get invited to these types of things, but I sure do love that I do! I am especially grateful for the Bordeaux journey because it felt like the entire trip led up to that point. While the vacation part of the trip was unforgettable and something that I will cherish up in my heart for years to come, it was the Bordeaux trip that put it all into that kingdom-seeking perspective.
The group that we met with represented at network of around 40 churches throughout France. These churches are committed to many of the same things we are committed to at Chapel Hill. They are Reformed, they value evangelism, they are a church-planting movement, they love and serve their communities. As they go about this work that they are called to, they frequently will say things like, “For the sake of the kingdom,” of “For the King.” At every meal, they talk about how this gathering for a meal is a taste of the kingdom coming and even toast to the King. They would comment on the goodness of our Creator and King as we drove through the countryside. Even in the difficult conversations about churches in decline, religious opposition, and the lack of a next generation of church leaders, they would follow it with a prayer, “God’s kingdom come.”
It felt like every sentence, every step, every meal, every day was marked by this desire to seek the kingdom and to see our King Jesus lifted high. It was part of their DNA, to be kingdom seekers. The awareness of God and his kingdom were a constant for them. In The Prctice of the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence writes, “The most holy and necessary practice in our spiritual life is the presence of God. That means finding constant pleasure in his divine company, speaking humbly and lovingly with him in all seasons, at every moment, without limiting the conversation in any way.”[2]
This kingdom seeking first attitude doesn’t mean moving to a mountaintop and being singularly focused. Instead, it’s the mindset of a constant awareness of God’s presence in our loves, and Christ’s kingship, lordship over us. Seeking the kingdom each day means seeking the King and seeking to see the Kingdom come in our work, in our relationships, in our leisure, in our meals.
And so, I want to encourage you to take a step in seeking the kingdom. Maybe when you eat your meals, raise your glass to the King of all kings. When you see the beauty of Mt. Rainier this weekend, thank the King for creating this place we live. When you go to work, or school, do it for the sake of the Kingdom. Let’s learn from our brothers and sisters around the world and seek first the kingdom of God.
Pastor Julie
[1] Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 87.
[2] Lawrence and Delaney, The Practice of the Presence of God, 59.