Chase!

Chase!

So above all, constantly chase after the realm of God’s kingdom and the righteousness that proceeds from him. Then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly. Matthew 6:33 TPT

Life is about pursuits and priorities. All of us have something that we chase after: a better life for ourselves and our children; position, power or possessions. Nothing in life is achieved by just folding the arms and watching things happen, but it is also clear that my life will always reflect my pursuits. If I seek after the right things, my life's story will reflect that fact. If the opposite applies, my life will reflect that also. What today's extract makes clear is that it is not wrong to pursue after the things that make life comfortable, but it is even more important to make sure that while I seek after the earthly, I must not ignore the eternal.

Of all pursuits, there is one that is fundamental and of eternal consequence, and it is God's kingdom. While I pursue daily bread, I must not forget eternal bread. There is a realm I must live in and walk by, and it is the realm of God's kingdom. This is a kingdom whose word is law, and rebellion is not permitted. Ask Lucifer. It is not a place of negotiation, arbitration or compromise. It is a kingdom, with a king and a definite territory. It is also a kingdom with a code of conduct, which is righteousness. It does not condone sin and will punish sin, no matter in whom it is found. It has a mediator, Jesus Himself, but his intervention does not negate the principles of the kingdom He represents. If it is sin, it is sin, and no grammatical construct, language manipulation or worldwide acceptance can change it into anything else. 

Have I submitted to this kingdom? Deos the Lord of this kingdom even know me as a subject of his realm? Do I seek co and equal authority with the King of the kingdom, thinking I can dictate terms and do as I please or am I totally submissive to His authority? I am not the one you need to convince, because I am also a subject of that kingdom. 

Did you note that it is a 'chasing', not a jamboree. It is not what you do when you feel like it, but something that takes time, effort and resources from you. It is not what I do for a while and then stop when it gets inconvenient. It is a constant chase, which never ends until the eternal has been received. If I know the value of the thing I am asked to chase, I will seek it with all that I have. 

Knowing that there is God's kingdom leaves the sober thought that there is yet another kingdom that is not God's. If there was only one kingdom, life won't be this hard, but the devil also seeks to perpetuate his own false kingdom, seeking to bend men to his will and authority. The devil does have some authority, at least on all who submit to his lies, but at least it is clear that the kingdom of God is the ultimate authority and all who submit to God get their freedom from Satan. 

You can't seek God's kingdom and ignore the code of conduct, terms and conditions of that kingdom. It also means that one is permanent and every other one is temporary. It is God's kingdom, not man's strong opinions or preferences. If what pushes me to action is what people say, then I do not yet understand what is at stake. If it is man's applause that drives my pursuits, maybe I do not yet understand what God demands from me. 

When the above is settled, then the lesser needs find basis. One key verse that applies here is: For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?  Mark 8:36 KJV. What gain is there to have all that this life offers and yet have nothing that eternal life offers? By God's scale of preference, the eternal is the most important. When I have God's Kingdom, nothing else is too important to let go to keep hold of the kingdom, unless I never knew the value of what I held in the first place. 

When my heart is right with God, nothing He gives me can take His place. No demand on earth can exhaust the resources of heaven, but heaven has its priorities. If I will lay hold of all that heaven intends, its rules must be of utmost importance to me. God wants me to have all that is required for both life and Godliness, not one of the two. Both are important to God and if one will take the other way, then it is not God. 

Guess the only question remaining is this: do I belong to God's kingdom or do I have my own defined rule? Am I labouring to secure provisions for myself, forgetting that only in God can I have all that I truly need? Seek God first;  there is no man who ever truly found God and lived to regret it. His time of favour is here.