If it’s not for the Kingdom – then what’s it for? (Part 2)

​If you read If it’s not for the Kingdom – then what’s it for? (Part 1), you might be relieved to hear this is not another story about going for a walk or a run. (Apparently that’s something I write about a lot). Actually this post is about what I’ve learnt in the last few weeks, so unless it involves taking a walk around the house, it would be very unlikely. 

This post is also not another one about singleness, although it most certainly applies to it.
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This post is about what it means to seek the Kingdom first (Matthew 6:25-34) – before our own dreams and desires, and even before our needs.

​Sacrifice

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

​– Romans 12:1-2 

​During the first week of lockdown I read a book that challenged my perception of what it means to seek God first. It might sound like a simple thing to do if it entails listing God first on some sort of list of things that are important to you. But that’s not it.
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There are times when choosing God requires us to give other things up. It requires sacrifice. Sometimes choosing God means taking other things off the list completely. 

​I feel like we should just pause here and if you need to go back up and read that again, maybe it would be a good idea. 

"There are times when choosing God requires us to give other things up."

See, we all have things we need to give up. It could be an unhealthy friendship or relationship. It could be a selfish desire. It could be a bad habit.
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In Romans 12:1-2 Paul teaches that we should be living sacrifices, as an act of worship. Jesus also teaches that in order to follow Him, we have to die to ourselves:

“Then He said to the crowd, ‘If any of you wants to be My follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow Me.” – Luke 9:23

Basic needs

In Matthew 6:25-34 Jesus teaches that we shouldn’t worry about having food or clothes. Basically, He’s instructing us not to worry about whether our essential needs will be met. These days I’m pretty sure most of us are well aware of what’s considered essential and what not.
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Let me be honest; I often struggle seeking God before my own desires – this is not even considering my basic needs. God wants us to seek Him and His Kingdom before we seek anything else. 

 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” – Matthew 6:33

​​This passage is often misquoted as a promise that God will give you what you want, if you do what He wants. The truth is that God asks us to seek His Kingdom and His righteousness. At the same time He asks us to trust Him to provide what we need, leaving it to Him to decide what that might be.

Desires

Another passage I’ve been journeying on over the last few months is Psalm 37:3-7. For now I’d like to focus on verse 4:

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” – Psalm 37:4

The Hebrew word “ânag” which is translated to “delight”, appears in the Old Testament ten times. It’s most often found in the context of rejoicing over something or being satisfied.

If we take the preceding and following verses into account we see instructions given to trust in the Lord (Psalm 37:3) and to commit our way to Him (Psalm 37:5).
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When we delight in God – trust Him, rejoice in Him, find satisfaction in Him – our desires come into alignment with His. When God is first in your life then He can give you the desires of your heart because you desire what He wants. 

He is good

Earlier this week I shared these thoughts with my mom and we ended up speaking about how God asks us to seek Him first because that’s what He designed us to do. He knows that the only place we’ll ever be satisfied is with Him.
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In Part 1 of this post I shared a testimony about how God came to fulfill a desire of my heart. More than physically providing for me He also revealed Himself as a good and loving Father. 

​Dying to yourself and letting go of what you want opens the door to experience the goodness of God. His plan for you is so much better than your plan for yourself.

"He knows that the only place we’ll ever be satisfied is with Him."

If it’s not for the Kingdom – then what’s it for?

​Over the last few weeks I started praying this line.

I pray it over my desire for a husband and children and over my desires for writing and ministry.

“If it’s not for the Kingdom – then I don’t want it.”

I pray it over my daily needs. I pray it over my relationships. I pray it over the way I spend my time.
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“If it’s not for the Kingdom – then what’s it for?”

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