The Kingdom Adventure

Read: Luke 12:22-34

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need. Luke 12:31

IN WORD

Imagine being the Creator. Imagine crafting humanity in your own likeness, endowing them with glory, positioning them to reflect the very best of your Kingdom or, even more importantly, your own heart as King. Would you then saddle them with so many responsibilities for basic survival and well-being that they didn’t have time for the treasures of your Kingdom? Of course not.

Neither would God. It is never His intention for us to be so fully occupied with sustaining ourselves that we don’t have time for a relationship with Him or each other. Granted, much Kingdom business and many Kingdom issues come up in the context of daily life and interaction, but many of us are so absorbed in keeping our heads above water that we wouldn’t think of taking time to enjoy the swim. God didn’t create us for busyness. He created us for Himself.

That means we have every right to end our preoccupation with survival and to-do lists and focus instead on the King and His Kingdom. To some people, that brings to mind full-time evangelism and discipleship, but the Kingdom is much bigger than that. Seeking His Kingdom means seeking His way of doing life, of exploring the truth and beauty of His creation, of gazing into His face and being transformed by the view. That’s what we were created for. And the promise of Jesus is that God will take care of the peripherals if we invest ourselves in that.

IN DEED

Seek first the Kingdom of God, not because it’s a requirement of a demanding God but because it’s an invitation into an adventure with Him. You can’t take a lot of baggage on this adventure, and you wouldn’t want to anyway. Being weighed down with schedules and concerns doesn’t enhance the experience, so our Guide on this adventure relieves us of that pressure. He promises to take care of all the details if we will focus all our energy on the adventure with Him. It’s not only a good deal—it’s a liberating one.

ADDITIONAL READING: Psalm 84:11

Faith in the Kingdom of God is what makes us light of heart and what Christian joy is all about.

JOHN MAIN