What does it mean to seek God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness?

A few weeks ago, our study through the Sermon on the Mount had us giving attention to Matthew 6:33. It’s a wonderful verse that many of you probably have memorized: “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” I’ve thought of this text several times since preaching on it, and because preaching prep always leaves me with more material than I have time to say, here’s a little bit more on that great verse.

What exactly does Jesus call us to seek first in this verse? In other words, what does He mean by “the kingdom of God and His righteousness”?

God’s kingdom is the reign of Jesus, the realm where Jesus’ authority is acknowledged and obeyed. To seek God’s kingdom is to desire Jesus’ rule to be recognized and obeyed in three realms: 1) within our own life, 2) in our circle of immediate influence, and 3) as far around the world as we can reach.

God’s righteousness is slightly different. It includes some of the same changes in people’s lives that would come about with the spread of God’s kingdom, but without the explicit recognition of Jesus as Lord. In other words, God’s righteousness involves the individual and social transformations that arise when God’s principles are applied even apart from conscious obedience to Him—i.e., married couples staying together instead of divorcing, kids honoring their parents instead of rebelling, neighbors caring for each other instead of fighting, governments serving their citizens with wisdom and compassion instead of abusing them. All of these behaviors—basic illustrations of people conforming to God’s will without conscious submission to God’s authority—are examples of God’s righteousness.

So “seeking God’s kingdom” calls us to evangelize, and “seeking God’s righteousness” calls us to foster basic Christian civility and compassion—e.g., feed the poor, fight oppression, and love our neighbor.

The point is that we are putting God’s concerns ahead of our own—seeking HIS agenda with all our heart. When we do that, Jesus says, the rest of our life will take care of itself. Does that mean we are guaranteed a perfectly smooth life in all these other ways—no problems ever? Not exactly. It means that, if you will give yourself to God’s cause in the world rather than fretting about your private needs, He will make sure you have all you need to do His will and give Him glory.