Seek first His Kingdom

[NewCreation435]

Matthew 6:33 says, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you."

I was thinking about this verse and I thought to myself what does it really mean to seek first His kingdom and righteousness and how I do I know when I am doing it? Also, what does "all these things" mean? I understand these verses to be directly related to the verses before it mainly verses 25-32 which talk about different needs that a person can have such as food, clothing and other things. Yet, there are people who walk a fairly righteous life and live for God who still struggle with their day to day needs.

 

[MoreCoffee]

Matthew 6:33 says, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you."

I was thinking about this verse and I thought to myself what does it really mean to seek first His kingdom and righteousness and how I do I know when I am doing it? Also, what does "all these things" mean? I understand these verses to be directly related to the verses before it mainly verses 25-32 which talk about different needs that a person can have such as food, clothing and other things. Yet, there are people who walk a fairly righteous life and live for God who still struggle with their day to day needs.

Maybe it means that in everything you do and say and in everything you think always remember that the kingdom of God is the home you hope for. Keep it in mind. Never let worldly concerns displace it.

 

[faramir.pete]

Matthew 6:33 says, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you."

I was thinking about this verse and I thought to myself what does it really mean to seek first His kingdom and righteousness and how I do I know when I am doing it? Also, what does "all these things" mean? I understand these verses to be directly related to the verses before it mainly verses 25-32 which talk about different needs that a person can have such as food, clothing and other things. Yet, there are people who walk a fairly righteous life and live for God who still struggle with their day to day needs.

So the issue you are setting out here is not so much how do we seek His kingdom and His righteousness, so much as what is His Kingdom and His righteousness.

I make the distinction because of the second part of your post where you say that you know people who are 'fairly righteous' yet they are still in need.

So in my opinion this verse is not so much about effort as intent.

If you look at the sermon on the mount in Matthew, you will see there how Christ explains the law of Moses and expands upon it. Repeatedly he starts with the absolute directive of the law, which the Jewshad interpreted in a very definite manner and then he changes the interpretation to show that what God is looking at is the intent of the heart not absolute obedience.

So taking that as a guide, seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness means having the right heart set not necessarily just the right intention and destination in mind.

To achieve that requires a clrear understanding of what Jesus means by His kingdom! We often fall into a misconception that His kingdom is heaven, yet I am not so sure about this, after all He is destined to return here and establish His kingdom upon earth (that is my understanding of Revelation in any case), so what He is saying here is we need to seek out His kingdom wherever wecan and do right as much as possible. That way we will expand His kingdom here on earth and perhaps doing right may include providing for those folks you know who are still in need daily? Just a thought.


Pete from Peterborough UK

 

[Lamb]

Here is the context...Matthew 28-34

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Jesus is saying to have faith that God will provide, He is our righteousness.

 

[Imalive]

pfff posted double again

 

[Imalive]

Matthew 6:33 says, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you."

I was thinking about this verse and I thought to myself what does it really mean to seek first His kingdom and righteousness and how I do I know when I am doing it? Also, what does "all these things" mean? I understand these verses to be directly related to the verses before it mainly verses 25-32 which talk about different needs that a person can have such as food, clothing and other things. Yet, there are people who walk a fairly righteous life and live for God who still struggle with their day to day needs.

That if I don't have money or any other need I shouldn't complain about that and just pray for the ones who don't even know Him and then He provides my needs. People give me money, clothes, don't even have to ask and I pray for em they get saved. Come to think about it, the ones who gave me money and clothes aren't even saved yet and I've been praying for them to get saved a long time.