Seek First the Kingdom of God. How?

What exactly does Jesus expect us to do with his request?  Is he asking us to pray all day?  What about all the other things on my to do list?  Am I just supposed to ignore them and simply go searching for his Kingdom?  Help me to understand how I’m supposed to respond to Jesus’ wish?

Isn’t Jesus aware that our lives are already full?  Jesus is not asking that we chose one or the other. He wants us to combine our everyday actions with seeking the kingdom of God.  In this way, he can accompany us in all that we do.  Then again, how do we do this?

Everyday God desires that we all want to do the right thing.  And in doing the right thing, goodness and graciousness will blossom in its wake. This includes doing it when all is good or when challenges arise. 

Again, how do we do this?  Every day we ask Jesus to support us in making others’ lives better and brighter.  We can do it with a smile, a “good morning” greeting, or holding the elevator door for someone rushing towards it. Seeking God’s kingdom is being on God’s side and making every effort to allow his message to flow through our actions. That is kingdom building.

Everyone simply begins each day with a big “thank you” for the gift of a new day. Then we can get into our cars and show gratitude by being polite to drivers who are not or allowing another driver into our lane before their lane ends.  Carrying out these small acts are seeking the kingdom first.

We often make resolutions to do good and fail and then we ask God’s forgiveness to begin again.  This is seeking God’s kingdom.  Or when we inject love and peace into a tense situation, instead of impatience and anger, we are seeking God’s kingdom. 

God invites us to do these little actions with great enthusiasm by turning simple deeds into an abundance of praise.  In this way, God’s love is recognized in many more places, because we act in God’s place.  That’s seeking the kingdom of God.  Whenever we forgo a selfish act, and replace it with a self-less act, God’s kingdom increases.

God the father loves selfless acts no matter who decides to accomplish them: Christian, Muslim, or Jew. After Christ’s birth, we celebrate the Epiphany which declares Jesus the savior of the whole world.  Since that affirmation, God is delighted to accept selfless acts from everyone.

Jesus requests his challenge “to seek first his Kingdom” for all his creation but takes special delight when it comes from one of his followers: “he who has ears to hear let him hear” and attain the message.

Imagine today if all the world heard these words “seek first the kingdom of God” and then did it, by bringing even small, good acts to all peoples. Such small acts can change the world from its fractured status to a healed wholeness.

 Frustrated, she knelt down and asked God: “Why don’t you do something to fix your broken creation?  God replied: “I have.” Continuing God said, “I sent you!”  Then he pointed to the rest of the congregation adding“And you, and you and you!”

So, let’s all get busy, doing our part seeking the kingdom through our small acts!