Seeking First the Kingdom: What Does it Mean?

Most Christians are familiar with Matthew 6:33 "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." However, there is a wide discrepancy as to what this means. The question that needs to be addressed is "what is the kingdom of God"? In scripture we find references to the "kingdom of heaven", as well as the "kingdom of God. In the New Testament there are at least 27 references to the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God. In several parables Jesus told us what the Kingdom of Heaven is like; a man who sowed good seed, but his enemy sowed weeds; a mustard seed which, though very small, produces a tree or bush capable of providing a perch for the birds of the air; and yeast that is folded into a measure of flour. With this background, we can assume that the kingdom of heaven is a kingdom in which the will of God is done immediately and gladly by all it's inhabitants. It is a kingdom where love prevails. It is a kingdom where God reigns supremely without question. To seek such a kingdom is to do our part to make this true even here on earth. ("Your will be done, Your kingdom come") To pray that phrase is to say "I'm willing to do Your will and to seek to bring Your kingdom on earth by living according to Kingdom Principles such as the Beatitudes and the Great Commandment.

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