Finding the Kingdom of God

The context of the verse above indicates a rather materialistic place. Jesus had just addressed being concerned about food, clothing and drink. The issue, though, is greater than “all these things” being added to those who seek and find the Kingdom.

What things are needed in seeking and finding the Kingdom of God? Certainly, we can suspect that indeed food, clothing and drink are part of that. After all God created what we need to sustain ourselves. About 150 years ago, Charles G. Finney said, “The Jews were greatly mistaken in respect to the nature of that kingdom which their Messiah was to set up. They expected a kingdom like the kingdoms of this world, invested with earthly splendor, fitted to aggrandize their nation and minister to their national pride.” This is a very limited perspective. But certainly Christians have felt the same.

If I find the Kingdom, I’ll be a successful football coach. If I find the Kingdom, I’ll get recognition on the basketball court. The danger here is the worry about not having “success” according to wordly standards. In our society it might be an issue of “keeping up with Jones” and extending one’s self too far. And in some cases, it may be far more problematic than that.

What about those who sleep under bridges, or who are having severe health problems, or who saw a natural disaster destroy their home? Does the Kingdom of God elude people under these circumstances? We have to say, no. The Kingdom of God is not simply about having food, clothing or drink. Seeking and finding the Kingdom of God is about grace, faith, forgiveness, hope and love.

There are many ways that the Bible addresses these. Paul offered the following: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23, KJV). While he was contrasting being covered in grace to being obsessed with the law, these are among the spiritual “things” added to the believer’s life when the Kingdom of God is found. If we limit evidence to success as the world sees it, we miss important aspects of the faith. Finding the Kingdom actually looks quite different than what one might expect.