The Good Part
I’m sorry that this is not a feel-good article. I really shouldn’t shake the tables too much as it is my first time writing on Pruned Life. I am so grateful for this opportunity. Nonetheless, it is what it is and I will speak of what lies in my heart. The reality is that the “Pruned Life” is not easy. Pruning does not feel good. Sometimes as Christians, we love to declare the promises in scripture and not emphasise the requirement that brings about the promise. Matthew 6:33 is one of those verses of scripture.
But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you (Matthew 6:33, NKJV)
We all love Matthew 6:33. I love it too. I say it all the time. It is a verse we are all well acquainted with. But recently, the Holy Spirit has been challenging what “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” means to me, compared to what Jesus meant when He said it.
I’ve heard many preachers say seeking the Kingdom first and its righteousness means choosing to go to church on Sunday morning instead of a party you were invited to. Or refusing to be involved in gossip at work or school. These are all correct, but surely this cannot be the extent of the Kingdom of God. Jesus described the Kingdom of God as a man who found a precious treasure in a field and sold all he had to buy the field! (Matthew 13:44). This story shows us that seeking the Kingdom calls for a deeper walk with Jesus. A walk that is worth everything that we are.
No wonder Jesus asked the young man to give all he had to the poor and follow Him (Matthew 19:21). Jesus wasn’t interested in the money. He was more interested in the posture of this man’s heart. Something prevented him from totally seeking the Kingdom. If he knew how much the Kingdom was worth, he would have sold all his goods instantly, given them to the poor and followed Jesus.
You may be asking, well, what is the Kingdom of God? Well, a Kingdom revolves mainly around two main concepts: the ruler and their vision. The vision and essence of the ruler encapsulate the Kingdom. The Kingdom is the king. The Kingdom of God is God and the enforcement of His vision. His vision is His Son Jesus and Him to rule over the earth in the lives of men. Whenever Jesus went around healing the sick and casting out demons, He would always say, “The Kingdom of God is already among you” (Luke 17:21, NLT). There is no kingdom without a king. As the miracles were happening, Jesus, the King, was enforcing the vision of His Kingdom on earth, a Kingdom void of sickness and demonic influence.
So, when we first seek the Kingdom and its righteousness, we seek Jesus and His vision for our lives and world. The next time you say, “I will seek the Kingdom of God, “we say, “I will seek Jesus.” Jesus tells us how we are to approach the searching for Him several times in scripture.
In Luke 9:59 Jesus asked two people to follow Him after expressing their great desire. One said He had to bury his late father. In contrast, the other said I must say goodbye to my family. These are perfectly reasonable explanations for why they couldn’t follow Jesus immediately. But Jesus’ response says otherwise:
“No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62, ESV)
The response to asking Jesus for more of Him has always been and will always be “Follow Me.” And the scriptures above illustrate the depth of those two words – “Follow me.”
Jesus is calling us to deeper walks with Him. And whenever He calls, man has a choice between Him and everything else. We often don’t even know there is a choice to make. Sometimes we don’t even know we have already made a choice! Martha was running around making dinner for her guest, and what a guest she had! The Lord Jesus Christ was in her living room! She had to make sure He had a fantastic meal. Oh, pressure for cooking for the King of Kings! The pressure. I can only imagine how she was running around that kitchen! And rightfully so. Not many people get to host the Messiah. However, Martha was unaware there was a choice, and she had made hers. Martha chose to concern herself with the food that would enter Jesus’ mouth, while Mary decided to seek the life that came out of the mouth of Jesus. Mary chose the good part (Luke 10:42).
Will you choose the good part? Will you give up even the seemingly reasonable excuses to sit at His feet and seek Him out? Are you ready to intentionally seek the Kingdom? Are you answering His call as He says, “Follow Me”?
