Scripture Reading: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you (Matthew 6:33 NKJV).

When Jesus made this statement, He was addressing a crowd of His followers, including His disciples, during the Sermon on the Mount. He spoke to people anxious about their basic needs, such as food, clothing, and shelter, urging them to prioritize the Kingdom of God and His righteousness over their worries about material security. Jesus emphasized that if they placed their trust in God’s reign and His way of living—focused on love, justice, and obedience to God—then their material needs would be taken care of. His message was not about neglecting the realities of life but about shifting their focus from anxiety and self-preservation to a life centered on God’s will, promising that God’s provision would follow when they prioritized His Kingdom.

The Elusive Pursuit for Personal Security and Survival

We all have a fundamental need for survival. We chase after personal security because, at its core, security is tied to our fundamental need for survival and well-being. From the moment we are born, we are dependent on external sources for safety, care, and provision. As we grow, we internalize this need for protection and begin to seek ways to ensure our survival in a world that can be unpredictable, dangerous, and full of threats. Whether it’s securing shelter, food, relationships, or health, the pursuit of security is a natural instinct born from the desire to feel safe, stable, and in control of our lives. This is often the source of our worries and sleepless nights. 

However, personal security often feels elusive because the world we live in is constantly changing and full of uncertainties. The more we try to secure ourselves—through money, possessions, power, or status—the more we realize that there are limits to what we can control. Life is fragile, and no amount of wealth, technology, or planning can completely eliminate risk. Accidents, natural disasters, illness, loss, and even death are all part of the human experience, reminding us that our efforts to guarantee security are never fully foolproof. This creates an inherent tension between our desire for safety and the reality that true, unshakeable security is beyond our grasp.

In Genesis, we read that humanity represented by Adam and Eve chose to go their own way and live life on their own terms.  What was the outcome? They encountered fear, loss, competition, survival of the fittest, and death, marking the beginning of a world where security became something to be fought for, rather than received as a gift. From that moment on, humanity has often sought to secure life through their own efforts—through possessions, power, and personal control—yet this pursuit often leads to harm and unrest.

And yet, in the midst of this pursuit of security, we find that Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:33 seem to challenge this deep human instinct. Jesus’ message about seeking first the Kingdom of God, calls us to prioritize God’s will and His kingdom above all else, trusting that when we do so, our basic needs will be met. What does this truly mean in the context of a world where safety, provision, and security feel so elusive?

What it Means to Seek First the Kingdom of God?

To get a good definition of “Kingdom of God,” it’s helpful to first understand what it meant for the biblical authors. In Jesus’ first-century Jewish context, kingdom meant a tangible, real world on Earth, including real citizens, a real king, and a way of life governed by that king.

It referred to the long-awaited reign or rule of God over His people and creation. This was not just a spiritual or abstract concept but was deeply rooted in their expectation of God’s active intervention in history to restore justice, peace, love, and the right relationship with God, fellow humans, and nature. It was both a present reality, and as a future hope—a call for a new way of living under God’s reign.

To seek first the Kingdom of God means to align our priorities with God’s will, embracing a way of life that is characterized by love, justice, humility, and trust in God’s provision. Jesus’ Kingdom is not about power, wealth, or dominance, but about loving God with all our heart, mind, and soul, and loving our neighbors as ourselves. It’s a Kingdom where we live not driven by fear or the anxiety of securing our own safety, but with faith that God will provide for us as we live according to His purpose.

Seeking God’s Kingdom above all else is not an abandonment of our needs, but a commitment to living in the way God has designed us to live—loving God, loving others, and trusting that in doing so, we find everything we truly need. As we align our hearts with God’s purposes, we are slowly freed from the fear of scarcity and the need for control. We can trust that God’s love and provision will never fail, and that, in the end, His Kingdom will fully come, bringing peace, justice, and eternal life.

As we seek first the Kingdom of God, we enter into the kind of freedom that allows us to rest in the security of God’s love—a security that cannot be shaken by the fleeting dangers of this world. In this way, we can live in anticipation of the day when the Kingdom will be fully realized, and all will be made new. Until then, we seek, we love, and we trust that we are already safe in God’s hands.

Personal Reflection

Here are some thought-provoking questions to help us reflect on on what it truly means to seek the Kingdom of God:

• Where do I find my sense of security? Am I more focused on accumulating material possessions, building personal safety nets, or ensuring my own survival, or do I trust in God’s provision and prioritize His Kingdom over worldly concerns?
• In what ways does seeking the Kingdom of God challenge my daily actions? How do I respond to the Kingdom values of love, forgiveness, and service when they conflict with my desire for personal security or self-interest? How can I align my actions more closely with these values in a practical way?
• What does “trusting God with my life” truly mean for me? How do I move from simply acknowledging God’s provision to actively living in a way that reflects complete trust in His plan, even when it goes against my natural instincts to protect or control my circumstances?