Kingdom First: Righteousness Over Materialism

I am reflecting on seeking God’s kingdom and righteousness first, and everything else will be added to us.

In my naivety, I believe the simple meaning of this verse is that if we live righteously, prioritize spiritual matters over material ones, and seek His wisdom to guide our paths—walking with God in obedience to His will for us while still fulfilling our responsibilities, applying care and due diligence in our work, being courageous in speaking the truth, and honing our skills to excel in our chosen fields—everything we seek will be added to us.

According to biblical stories, Prophet Elijah was fearless, courageous, and truthful. He confronted the world leaders of his time and performed miracles. Through those miracles, such as wrestling with the prophets of Baal, he won souls and brought the Israelites back to God from their unbelief and idolatry. His focus was not on dying to inherit a room in Heaven, as is the way of most preachers in today’s world. Instead, he did not die but was taken up into the clouds, and the people of his day witnessed his ascent.

Enoch did not focus on dying to reach heaven. He focused on loving God intensely. He could hardly do anything without consulting God, and the Bible said, “Enoch walked with God.” The Scriptures also said, “God took him.”

When we examine the lives of Elijah and Enoch, one thing they had in common was their close walk with God. They were diligent in all they did, and God took them to Himself without dying first.

As we prepare to go out this morning, let us look at ourselves in the mirror and be sincere: Are we truly living kingdom lives? Are we practicing all those things that could make us righteous to help us focus more on the spiritual rather than the material?

Is it possible, therefore, to place greater emphasis on kingdom living that would produce righteousness in every believer, instead of this unending race to make heaven while being so burdened by worldly things and materialism?