We live in a highly connected time in history. As the saying goes, “the world is at our fingertips,” and quite literally, with our current technologies. Perhaps never before have we had so much opportunity to create, consume, pursue, or build our own “kingdoms.” Yet while these possibilities can bring excitement and blessing, they can also be overwhelming. How do we navigate faithfully with so many possible routes and detours? It’s easy to become disoriented and lose sight of God’s best for us. Yet we can train our thoughts and desires to seek first God’s kingdom.

Listen to Seek Ye First from Hidden In My Heart, Volume I

Seek First God’s Kingdom with Our Minds

Scripture warns against having a divided mind. James 1:8 describes a person whose faith sways and tosses like ocean waves at the wind’s mercy. We read that this person “is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” Contrary to a divided mentality is a mind that is fixed on God’s truth, like we see in Isaiah 26:3, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You.”

Matthew 6:33 encourages us to “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” The Greek word for seek means to crave, aim at, and strive after. Do we desire God’s goodness enough to reorient our lives in pursuit of His ways? As we “taste and see that the LORD is good,” as Psalm 34:8 tells us, we will develop an insatiable desire for more of God. As we nourish that craving for His Word and ways, our attitudes and habits will turn away from the world’s distractions and toward God’s plans. We’ll find ourselves undivided as our minds are stayed on Him.

Seek First God’s Kingdom with Our Hearts

In elementary school, children learn the order of operations for mathematical equations. They can navigate increasingly complex math problems as they learn to first solve what is inside parentheses, move on to multiplication and division, and finish with subtraction and addition. Similarly, there is a complex order of operations inside our hearts. We often have conflicting desires, and it’s difficult to separate what we want from what God desires for us. Just as a child learns to see a complex math problem and look first for what’s in the parentheses, we can look at the tangle of desires in our hearts and practice identifying what’s of first importance. As we do, we find that everything to follow makes more sense. 

This is what it looks like to seek first God’s kingdom. We identify and begin with what He wants for our lives. When multiple opportunities are in front of us, we can seek first God’s kingdom by meditating — or thinking upon — Scripture and hiding God’s Word in our hearts. We can sort opportunities out as we gain clarity through prayer and His Holy Spirit. Matthew 6:33 continues, instructing us to “…seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness….” As we familiarize ourselves with His desires, His righteousness permeates our lives. 

Seek First God’s Kingdom with His Blessing and Help

Isaiah 55:6 says, “Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near.” As we seek first God’s kingdom with our minds and hearts, we can move forward with confidence, knowing that He is near to us.

God does not want us to be overwhelmed. Instead, He blesses our pursuit of Him and His kingdom. He grants clarity as we realign our minds and hearts to match His desires. Romans 12:2 offers this instruction and promise, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Seek ye first the kingdom of God 

And His righteousness 

And all these things 

Will be added unto you

 Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia 

Seek ye the Lord while He may be found 

Call upon His name while He is near 

Seek ye the Lord while He may be found 

Call upon His name while He is near

Listen to Seek Ye First from Hidden In My Heart, Volume I