Reverend Michael Mwangi
Senior Pastor, Fedha Church, Kenya Assemblies of God
Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
When you get saved into God's kingdom, it means you embrace God's comprehensive rule over every aspect of your life. You adopt a new life, a new identity, and a new kingdom.
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Paul no longer lives, but Christ lives in him. It is no longer about his own kingdom but God's kingdom, having surrendered his life and thus experiencing a transformation. His actions, will, purpose, and identity are now driven by God through the Spirit dwelling in him.
What Does It Mean to Seek the Kingdom First?
To seek the kingdom first means to make God's rule and moral standards your singular priority, trusting Him to provide all physical necessities. It is not a one-time event but a continuous, habitual action. It means making God the foundation of your daily life, rather than just an item at the top of a to-do list.gs, being conformed to His death.
This is a call to align your life with God's will, rule, and purposes, rather than the temporary kingdoms and pursuits of the world.
It is righteousness: This is pursuing a life of integrity, holiness, and obedience to God. It goes beyond following rules on the surface but living transformed with a sincere heart.
"All these things": This refers to the basic human needs Jesus previously listed—food, drink, and clothing. When you prioritise God's eternal agenda, He promises to care for your earthly needs.
This is a spiritual remedy for sinful anxiety and worry. It shifts the focus from fretting over an uncontrollable future to resting in God's daily, loving provision.
Why Should We Seek the Kingdom First and His Righteousness?
Most believers perhaps do not understand how important the kingdom is or what it means. They do not realise the true value of having the Kingdom. It is worth more than everything else. It is worth living for because it takes care of our now and our eternity.
That is why we should give it our greatest and utmost priority. We should be ready to lose everything else for the sake of gaining the kingdom. This is what gives life meaning and purpose.
Solomon sought to find the meaning of life by seeking all other things first, but he ended up empty, broken, and frustrated.
Ecclesiastes 1:2, 14, 16-17
"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher; "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind. I communed with my heart, saying, "Look, I have attained greatness, and have gained more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My heart has understood great wisdom and knowledge." And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind.
Ecclesiastes 12:13
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all.
Seeking the Kingdom of God is what fulfils and restores a man's glory and places him in dominion. It is everything a man longs for, and without it, he is empty and devastated. It is therefore the most valuable thing a man ought to seek.
The Parable of the Hidden Treasure
Matthew 13:44
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."
This is the Parable of the Hidden Treasure, where Jesus illustrates that the Kingdom of God is of such supreme, matchless value that it is worth sacrificing absolutely everything else to obtain it.
Christ is everything in our lives. He is this treasure that is worth us selling (losing) everything to gain. He is worth everything in our lives. Knowing Him and making Him known is seeking the kingdom, and that is our primary purpose for living. He is worth more than everything else in our lives.
Philippians 3:7-8
But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.
Paul found the kingdom, and so he lost everything to seek it. We should be willing to sacrifice everything else in life to gain Christ.
The Parable of the Fine Pearl
Jesus shares a very similar parable about a merchant searching for fine pearls.
Matthew 13:45-46
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it."
God's kingdom is His presence in our lives. It is the greatest thing that any human can have. You had better miss everything else but have His presence.
This is the value that we ought to place on the kingdom. It is what we should live for.
Living the Kingdom Life
Every day we should seek His will, His kingdom, to come in our lives here on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). That is the lordship and reign of God in our lives.
Like Paul, our lives' greatest pursuit should be knowing Christ and making Him known by living out and manifesting kingdom life. Every sphere of our life should manifest the life of the Spirit, affecting everything around us to the glory of God.
Philippians 3:10
That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship
Colossians 2:9-10
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.
In the Old Testament, they had only a glimpse of it, yet they treasured it greatly. They had only a measure of God's presence, but it meant everything.
Moses would rather miss milk and honey in Canaan than enjoy God's presence – His rule and reign in his life.
Exodus 33:14-16
The Lord replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?"
It is God's kingdom in us that makes us different. It affects every aspect of your life, distinguishing you.
David, after sinning, feared not losing his crown or position, but losing God's presence. He was ready to lose his kingdom as the king of Israel but could not bear the loss of God's kingdom. Like Paul, he was ready to lose everything but have the Kingdom of God over his life.
Psalm 51:11
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
The Kingdom of God was the single most valuable and important thing in his life.
Psalm 27:4
One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.
This should be our heart's cry and desire. It should be our utmost priority as a believer. As a result, God's rule and reign will manifest in our lives as we experience His power, glory, and dominion as sons of the kingdom.
Now that we have Christ and the Holy Spirit, let seeking the kingdom be our greatest life endeavour.
Let us desire to be in the fellowship with God and to walk in obedience seeking to do His will always.
John 15:7
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
We have God but does God have you? If we seek the kingdom then we will have life in abundance and all that we desire in life. When God takes charge of our lives, our lives are fulfilled. Seek the kingdom first and its righteousness and you have all others added to you.
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