31/07/2025
Understanding Kingdom Priorities
Dr. Olu Akande |
Have you ever really thought about what Jesus meant in Matthew 6:33 when He said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you”?
For many, this verse simply means: “Put God first, and He will take care of everything else.” While that’s true, there’s a deeper meaning behind the word seek. In the original Greek, the word used is ζητέω (zeteo), which means to search for, desire, demand. It implies intensity—something you’re desperate to find or experience.
But here’s something many believers don’t realize: If you are in Christ, you’re not trying to enter the Kingdom—you’re already in it. Colossians 1:13 tells us we have been delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the Kingdom of His dear Son. Ephesians 2:6 says we are seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. And Philippians 3:20 reminds us that our citizenship is in heaven.
So what does it mean to seek the Kingdom if we’re already in it? It means we are not seeking a place—we are seeking transformation. The Kingdom is not about doing things to earn God's favor. It’s about becoming the kind of person who lives from heaven’s perspective.
Remember the story of the rich young ruler in Mark 10? He asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus listed the commandments, but then said something deeper: “One thing you lack.” The issue wasn’t his actions—it was who he was on the inside. Jesus was inviting him into transformation, not just behavior.
Jesus didn’t come to make us better people. He came to make us new people. John 1:12 tells us He gave us power to become the sons of God. And in John 3, Jesus told Nicodemus that unless a man is born again, he cannot even see the Kingdom of God.
That’s the point: the Kingdom is about becoming, not doing. It’s about spiritual rebirth—a change of identity, nature, and priority. That’s why Colossians 3 urges us to set our minds and affections on things above, where Christ is. Our real life is hidden with Him, and that’s where our focus must be.
So stop striving to “make heaven.” In Christ, you’re already seated there. The goal now is to let your life reflect that reality—to become all that God has called you to be.
The Kingdom of God is not just your future home. It’s your present identity. Live from it.
