Seeking the Kingdom of God and Its Righteousness: A Believer’s Guide
Isaac Megbolugbe
January 24, 2025
Introduction
As believers, we are called to seek the Kingdom of God and its righteousness above all else. But what does this mean, and how do we live it out in our daily lives?
Understanding the Kingdom of God
The Kingdom of God is not just a future reality, but a present reality that we can experience now. It is the reign of God in our hearts, minds, and lives. When we seek the Kingdom, we are seeking to align ourselves with God’s will, purposes, and values.
Seeking Righteousness
Righteousness is not just about moral behavior, but about living a life that is pleasing to God. It involves living according to His standards, principles, and values. When we seek righteousness, we are seeking to be transformed into the image of Christ, to think, act, and live like Him.
Practical Steps to Seeking the Kingdom and Righteousness
1. Prioritize your relationship with God: Spend quality time with Him in prayer, worship, and studying His Word.
2. Live according to God’s Word: Apply biblical principles to your life, and seek to obey His commands.
3. Seek spiritual growth: Pursue transformation through the power of the Holy Spirit.
4. Practice love and forgiveness: Demonstrate God’s love to others, and forgive as He forgives.
5. Trust in God’s sovereignty: Recognize His authority and control over all aspects of life.
6. Live with purpose and intentionality: Use your gifts, talents, and resources to advance God’s Kingdom.
Conclusion
Seeking the Kingdom of God and its righteousness is a lifelong journey. It requires commitment, dedication, and surrender. As believers, let us prioritize our relationship with God, live according to His Word, and seek spiritual growth. May we be transformed into the image of Christ, and may our lives reflect the righteousness of God.
Living Witness for God’s Kingdom
Being a living witness for God’s Kingdom involves embodying and demonstrating the values, principles, and characteristics of the Kingdom in your daily life. This crystallizes a Kingdom lifestyle and purview in several ways:
1. Authenticity: Your life becomes a genuine reflection of God’s love, grace, and truth, showcasing the reality of the Kingdom.
2. Influence: As you live out Kingdom values, you influence others, inspiring them to seek God’s Kingdom and its righteousness.
3. Transformation: Your life is transformed, and you become a testament to God’s power and grace, demonstrating the Kingdom’s transformative impact.
4. Purpose: Your life is aligned with God’s purposes, and you live with intentionality, prioritizing Kingdom goals and values.
5. Community: You become part of a larger community of believers, united in seeking God’s Kingdom and its righteousness.
6. Witness: Your life serves as a witness to the reality of God’s Kingdom, pointing others to Him and His transformative power.
7. Fruitfulness: Your life bears fruit, demonstrating the Kingdom’s impact and glory, as you live out God’s love, joy, peace, and righteousness.
8. Reflection: Your life reflects God’s character, values, and principles, showcasing the beauty and glory of His Kingdom.
By being a living witness for God’s Kingdom, you exemplify and crystallize a Kingdom lifestyle and purview, demonstrating the reality and power of God’s Kingdom to a world in need.
Risks and Dangers
A watchlist to aid the risks and dangers that await God’s Kingdom mindset and lifestyle may include:
1. Spiritual complacency: Becoming too comfortable or self-satisfied, leading to a lack of spiritual growth and vigilance.
2. Worldly influences: Allowing secular values and norms to erode Kingdom values and principles.
3. Deception and false teachings: Being misled by false or watered-down teachings that contradict biblical truth.
4. Fear and anxiety: Allowing fear and anxiety to dominate thoughts and actions, rather than trusting in God’s sovereignty.
5. Pride and arrogance: Failing to recognize one’s own weaknesses and limitations, leading to pride and arrogance.
6. Lack of community: Isolating oneself from other believers, missing out on support, accountability, and encouragement.
7. Unforgiveness and bitterness: Failing to forgive and letting bitterness take root, hindering spiritual growth and relationships.
8. Spiritual warfare: Being unaware or unprepared for spiritual attacks and temptations.
9. Distractions and busyness: Allowing worldly distractions and busyness to crowd out time for God and Kingdom pursuits.
10. Disobedience and rebellion: Willfully disobeying God’s commands and principles, leading to spiritual stagnation and danger.
11. Lack of prayer and intercession: Neglecting prayer and intercession, leaving oneself vulnerable to spiritual attacks.
12. Unbiblical thinking and behavior: Adopting thoughts and actions that contradict biblical truth and Kingdom values.
13. Idolatry and worldly attachments: Allowing worldly attachments and idols to rival one’s devotion to God.
14. Disunity and division: Failing to maintain unity and harmony with fellow believers, hindering Kingdom progress.
15. Spiritual fatigue and burnout: Neglecting self-care and spiritual nourishment, leading to exhaustion and burnout.
By being aware of these potential risks and dangers, believers can proactively guard against them and maintain a strong Kingdom mindset and lifestyle.