What Does “Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God” Mean?

The short answer: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God" means putting Jesus on the throne of your life before anything else, every day. Jesus promised that when we do, God will add the everyday things we need: food, clothing and shelter.

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33, KJV)

What is Jesus asking us to seek?

Two things: the kingdom of God and His righteousness. The kingdom of God is any place where Jesus is ruling. So seeking the kingdom first means letting Jesus rule your life, your plans and your decisions. His righteousness is the righteousness of Christ, given to everyone who trusts Him as Savior.

A hymn in our church's hymnal puts it simply: "King of my life, I crown Thee now, Thine shall the glory be."

What are "all these things"?

They are the needs Jesus lists in Matthew 6:25-32: what we eat, what we drink and what we wear. Our April 21, 2024 sermon put it another way: money to get by, provision for the body, and shelter. They are the things the world spends its whole life chasing.

"For after all these things do the Gentiles seek: for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things." (Matthew 6:32)

What does seeking the kingdom first look like?

The sermon described three daily habits:

1. Daily submission. Crown Jesus King every day, not just on Sunday. "Lord, You are my God. You are my master. You are in charge of my life."
2. Daily service. Every saved person is alive to serve the Lord, not only preachers and missionaries.
3. Daily trust. Bring your needs to God instead of worrying over them. King David prayed "evening, and morning, and at noon" (Psalm 55:17).

What happens if we don't seek Him first?

Life goes in circles. As the sermon put it, a person who doesn't seek the kingdom first is like a dog chasing its own tail. Jesus said, "No man can serve two masters... Ye cannot serve God and mammon." (Matthew 6:24)

Does God really keep this promise?

Yes. When a famine came, God sent Elijah to a poor widow in Zarephath. She gave to God's prophet first, and her barrel of meal never ran out (1 Kings 17). God has not grown old or feeble. If He feeds the birds and clothes the lilies, He will take care of you.