Kingdom Values (3)

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6.33

When God calls
God is continuously calling us into His Kingdom and glory (1 Thess. 2.12). These are His highest values for us. When this calling becomes the overarching calling of our lives, it will shape the way that we approach each day, so that seeking the Kingdom and glory of God will become the defining orientation of all we do.

Human beings live for the future. We’re cognizant of our past, and we make our way in life through the present. But humans are future-oriented creatures. We don’t want either to rest on our laurels or be trapped in our past. And we know the present is too fleeting to hold on to for anything other than the present. Consequently, we’re always seeking something that lies just ahead. Seeking describes our basic orientation to life.

So the question, where the composition of the conscience is concerned, is not whether we shall have seeking as a value, but, in particular, what we will seek as the defining value for all our seeking.

Happily, Jesus has sorted that out for us. Jesus came to announce, embody, proclaim, and advance the Kingdom of God. His Gospel is the Gospel of the Kingdom – of the joyous rule of God over all aspects of life unto our blessing and His glory. God calls us to His Kingdom and glory, and Jesus commands us to seek that Kingdom.

It seems pretty clear that seeking the Kingdom should be one of the preeminent values in our souls.

Kingdom, power, righteousness
Paul explains the Kingdom of God in terms of power (1 Cor. 4.20) – spiritual power which is virtually unbounded in what it can accomplish (Eph. 3.20) – and righteousness – the life of Jesus formed in and expressed through us (2 Cor. 3.12-18). The result of this Kingdom’s outworking in our lives is peace and joy (Rom. 14.17, 18). The ability to realize this power for those ends depends on the work of God’s Spirit within us, as He makes us willing – hear that conscience word? – and able to do what is pleasing to God (Phil. 2.13).

Our duty is to embrace Kingdom-seeking as a defining value. God is calling us into His Kingdom, and we are commanded to seek that Kingdom in response to God’s calling. As we do, we come to know the transforming power of God’s Spirit at work within us, willing and doing and remaking us into the very image of Jesus Christ. This is what it means to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.

So, what does this involve?

Seeking the Kingdom
Obviously, seeking the righteousness, peace, and joy of the Holy Spirit – the Kingdom of God – must begin in our own souls – mind, heart, and conscience. First, we must commit to Kingdom-seeking as a defining value. That might entail reviewing all our life values, setting some aside and putting all the rest of them in order behind seeking the Kingdom. It might be a good idea, once you’ve completed this task, to note the date in your Bible or journal, make a commitment to the Lord, and then share that commitment with a trusted friend. This could be your “memorial stones” of having crossed the Jordan into a new framework of values (Josh. 4.1-24). And it will provide a touchstone to which you can return from time to time.

When seeking the Kingdom has become a settled value in our consciences, we will devote our minds to the task of understanding righteousness and the ways of God’s Spirit. We will make time to read, study, and meditate on the power and righteousness of the Kingdom, so that we understand these clearly and are learning to process all our thinking through a called-to-the-Kingdom filter.

As we learn more of the beauty and potential of the Kingdom, of the promises available to those who seek it, and of the exceedingly-abundantly-beyond power of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 3.20), we will find that our hearts become more firmly set on embracing God’s calling to seek His Kingdom and glory. And that, in turn, will shore up the value you place on the Kingdom in your conscience.

As in our souls we become thus devoted to seeking the Kingdom, we’ll find this value increasingly reflected in our words and deeds. We’ll talk about the Kingdom more freely and eagerly. We’ll ask others about their experience of seeking the Kingdom. We’ll find ourselves explaining the Good News of the Kingdom to people who probably never think about such matters, and we’ll do so not apologetically but gladly, boldly, and even urgently. 

At the same time, we’ll see our actions coming more into line with the Kingdom. We’ll want to do more Kingdom kinds of things, like Jesus did when He came to bring the Kingdom to the world. Old thoughts and affections having been transformed in our Kingdom-seeking souls, we’ll have more love for people, want to be more helpful and encouraging, and look for ways to embody Kingdom verities and values in every area of our lives. We’ll be pleased to meet new people, and we’ll initiate more conversations that might lead to Kingdom outcomes in others.

Those who know themselves called to God’s Kingdom and glory, and who cherish that calling as a high privilege and glorious adventure, will set seeking God’s Kingdom and glory as a prominent value in their consciences. Once there, this Kingdom value will begin to shape everything else in our lives.

For reflection
1.  Do you agree that people tend to live toward the future, always hoping for something different or better? Why does this make it important that we be clear in our focus about what we are seeking?

2.  How would you explain the Kingdom of God to a new believer? What does it mean to be a citizen and an ambassador of this Kingdom?

3.  What are some life-values that could get in the way of seeking the Kingdom as your preeminent value?

Next steps – Transformation: How would you describe your approach to seeking the Kingdom and glory of God at this time? Can you think of some ways you might improve this? Talk with a Christian friend about these questions.

T. M. Moore

The Ailbe Cross, which you can see in the masthead of our website, incorporates the Kingdom values examined in this series. Watch this brief videoto see how all these values underlie our ministry.

Is the Kingdom of God a daily reality for you, or just something you think about from time to time? That is, have you made the Kingdom turn into a richer, fuller experience of following Jesus? Our book The Kingdom Turn can help you realize more of the presence, promise, and power of the Kingdom. Order your copy by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.