What Does “Seek First The Kingdom of God” Mean?

What happens when everything you thought would make you happy falls apart?

The first time I read the New Testament, one passage that caught my attention was:

At the time, the verse was difficult to accept, but I knew it was important. Honestly, I first understood it as the key to success.

Our society often defines success through social media: the perfect life, the perfect relationship, and enough money to travel to some paradisiacal beach.

I used to think I would be happy once I had the perfect woman, became a millionaire, and owned a new Toyota Supra.

But over the years, all of that changed. I learned the hard way. I lost nearly everything, but in the deepest pit of despair, I found God.

Since then, He has shown me that He should be the center of my life. When a relationship ends, or a business collapses, God remains.

But what does it actually mean to seek God first?

In this guide, we will examine Matthew 6:33 in context and see how God’s kingdom should shape our priorities, worries, and daily decisions.

What Does “Seek God First” Mean?

First things first, seeking is active. It is more than having a passing interest in God or remembering Him only when things go wrong.

It requires faith because it is not like Jesus appears before you and throws money at you. God has revealed Himself through Jesus, Scripture, and the truth He calls us to follow.

As we follow Christ, God slowly transforms our hearts and minds.

What we once considered extremely important becomes, “Hmm… not so much.”

That huge mansion we once wanted? Not so important anymore. That cruise to the Caribbean? Still nice, obviously, but no longer the centre of our lives.

Our priorities begin to change because we recognize that God is good and has authority over everything.

For instance, every morning I pray:

“God, please help me create work that glorifies You and serves Your kingdom. Guide me in all things with wisdom and knowledge.”

I pray this because I want God involved in every part of my life. Doing things only for myself no longer makes much sense to me.

When I followed only my own way, any happiness I found was usually temporary. But when God is at the center, even difficult days are better than the days when I lived without Him.

Seeking God first means allowing His will and truth to guide everything else.

Understanding Matthew 6:33 in Context

Before we dig deeper into Matthew 6:33, we must look at the surrounding context in Matthew 6:19–34.

Jesus begins by saying:

Jesus warns us about the danger of focusing only on earthly treasures. Of course, we need food, clothing, money, relationships, and other things as part of our day-to-day lives.

The problem begins when those things become idols and we push God aside. When we are ruled by material possessions, we become controlled by them.

For instance, we may constantly stress about losing our money. Some people may even become selfish or dishonest out of fear of losing what they have.

No matter how much we care about these things, we can still lose them. Sometimes faster than we realize. People quickly discovered this during the pandemic. One day, you could go to the gym, etc, and the next, everything was shut down.

Jesus continues:

Jesus then tells us to store up treasures in heaven. This includes living in faith, obedience, and love for God rather than building our lives only around things that will eventually disappear.

In other words, where we place our greatest value will shape our priorities.

If we focus only on material things, we become ruled by them. But when we seek God first, He begins guiding how we approach money, possessions, work, and everything else.

The rest of the passage continues this same theme. Jesus speaks about serving God rather than money and about worrying over food, drink, and clothing.

Matthew 6:33 is His answer to that anxiety: seek God’s kingdom and righteousness instead of letting fear and material security control your life.

What Is the Kingdom of God?

When we first think about the kingdom of God, we may imagine a distant place. Perhaps somewhere in heaven or another reality.

But the kingdom of God is far closer than that. It is God’s rule, already present through Jesus and at work in those who follow Him.

In Mark 1:15, Jesus says:

This kingdom does not look like an ordinary earthly kingdom. Many people in Jesus’ time expected a political ruler sitting on a throne and defeating their enemies.

But Jesus announced a kingdom that begins with repentance, faith, and surrender to God.

Many people still think of God’s kingdom only as a place we go after death. Heaven is part of our future hope, but God’s kingdom has already come near through Jesus.

It is present wherever Christ reigns, although it will not be fully revealed until He returns.

Seeking this kingdom requires humility and surrender. You pretty much have to go against the grain. Society often tells us to take complete control of our lives.

But with God, we give that control to Him. We allow Him to transform our desires and shape us into the likeness of Christ.

What Does It Mean to Seek God’s Righteousness?

We seek God’s righteousness when we allow Him to make us more like Jesus. We slowly begin to desire obedience more, and we grow in mercy, holiness, truth, and love for God, other people, and even ourselves.

As we said before, seeking is active. We need to do something. But we do it without hidden motives such as:

“God, I scratched Your back. Now You have to scratch mine.”

Instead, we act out of love for God.

For instance, when I go into the street and pray for people, I am not expecting God to give me a cookie at the end. I do it because I want to serve others and sacrifice a little of my time to honor God.

We seek righteousness through things such as:

• Helping someone in need
• Praying for others
• Forgiving someone
• Turning away from sin
• Choosing truth even when it costs us

As we cooperate with God’s grace and practice what is right, He gradually shapes us to become more like Jesus.

How to Seek God First in Everyday Life

I’m going to explain a few practical ways to put God first.

Begin With God’s Revealed Will

Scripture gives us clear direction about how God wants us to live. It establishes the moral boundaries that should guide our decisions, even though it will not tell us every small detail of what to do.

So, read the Bible and allow it to shape the direction of your choices. There is little point searching for a private sign from God while ignoring something He has already made clear in Scripture.

If you’re a new Christian, read “How to Study the Bible for Beginners: 7 Simple Steps.” This guide will help you get started on the right track.

Examine What Is Driving the Decision

You should also examine what is driving your decisions.

Paul wrote this while encouraging Timothy not to shrink back from his calling. It does not mean that every fear is sinful, but it does remind us not to allow fear to govern our choices.

Ask yourself:

Is it fear or faith? Pride or humility? Am I seeking the approval of others or the approval of God?

Sometimes, obedience means stepping outside your comfort zone. We do not automatically grow every time we feel uncomfortable, obviously, but fear can stop us from doing what God is calling us to do.

I certainly did not feel comfortable the first time I approached people on the street and asked whether they would accept prayer. But after doing that for a few years, I now feel comfortable in most social situations.

Place Your Responsibilities Under God’s Rule

Putting God first does not mean neglecting work, family, money, relationships, health, or rest. It means placing those responsibilities under God’s rule.

We should not divide life into “spiritual” and “ordinary” areas. God should also shape how we work, spend money, treat our family, and use our time.

Give your plans to God, but plan wisely. We often try hard to control every detail of our lives. But despite our best efforts, things do not always happen as we expected.

Choose Obedience Before Guaranteed Outcomes

Sometimes, following God means obeying without knowing what is on the other side. You cannot see every possible outcome, but you trust Him.

That does not mean acting recklessly or assuming that every strong feeling comes from God.

For instance, you may need to refuse dishonest work even if doing so costs you money or an opportunity.

In a more serious situation, you may decide to leave a job because it continually pressures you to violate your Christian convictions. But that decision should still involve prayer, wisdom, and careful discernment.

You may eventually find something better, but that is not guaranteed. The point of obedience is faithfulness, not receiving an automatic upgrade afterward.

Let God’s Kingdom Shape How You Treat Others

We will stumble again and again. But the important question is:

What do we do when we stumble? Let’s say you got angry and screamed at someone. Now what?

Go back to God, repent, and apologize to that person if needed. Ask God to transform you and give you more patience next time, along with more mercy, forgiveness, and a stronger sense of justice.

Seeking God first should gradually change how we treat the people around us. So, allow God to shape not only your private spiritual life but also the way you respond to others.

What Does “All These Things” Mean?

Lastly, let’s talk about “all these things.” What are these things?

• Does it mean becoming rich, as some prosperity preachers claim?
• Does it mean living in constant peace and joy without ever suffering?
• Does it mean always being healthy and never experiencing sickness?

The answer is no.

Looking at my own life, since I started following Christ, I have faced more trials in these past few years than ever before. So, it is not an easy walk. But at the same time, it is the only walk I want to walk.

To understand “all these things,” we need to look at what Jesus had just mentioned: food, drink, and clothing. Jesus says:

Jesus is teaching us to trust the Father with our needs instead of allowing worry to control us.

This does not mean we will never experience poverty, sickness, unemployment, or suffering. It also does not mean God will give us everything we want.

God may give us strength, wisdom, and help during our challenges. However, that is not the direct meaning of “all these things” in this passage.

The promise is that our Father knows what we need. We seek His kingdom first and trust Him with the things we cannot control.

Last Thoughts

What is truly coming first in your life right now? Is it God or fear, money, comfort, approval, or the need to stay in control?

Is there one area where you keep asking God to bless your plans instead of allowing Him to change them?

Be honest with yourself. Seeking God first is not always easy, but it begins with surrendering one decision at a time.