What Jesus Really Meant by “Seek First the Kingdom of God”

“The gospel is not about how to get saved. The gospel is about the reign of God through Jesus.” — Scot McKnight, Christian author and theologian

Many of us heard “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” as something different than what Jesus actually meant.

I grew up in a Fundamentalist, Evangelical background. To them, it meant something like, “Seek getting saved so that when you die, you can avoid hell and gain heaven.”

It also meant making it your priority in life to share the Gospel of Salvation so that they also can avoid hell and be in heaven after they die.

Truth hidden in plain sight rather than buried under church doctrine: Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom, not the Gospel of Salvation from one’s sins.

There are good points that can be known about Salvation. But, from Jesus’ perspective, it shouldn’t be labeled as The Gospel.

When Jesus said “seek first,” He meant make it your highest priority in life. He didn’t mean that you’re truly spiritual if you have your prayer and devotions before doing anything else every day.

It’s not one priority among many. It’s not something you aim for when things calm down. It’s not something you try harder at during stressful seasons.

He meant first as in what you make your priority in life.

The thing everything else gets arranged around.

What “Seek First” Actually Means

So let’s be practical.

“Seek first” means decide what sits at the center of your life.

Everyone already has a center. We don’t usually name it, but it shows up in how we make decisions, what we worry about, and what we protect when things feel threatened.

For some people, that center is money. For others, it’s safety. For others, it’s productivity.For others, it’s control. For plenty of religious people, it’s being right or being seen as faithful.

Jesus isn’t introducing the idea of priorities. He’s not saying that other things in life don’t matter. He’s challenging which one gets top billing.

Seeking first the kingdom means God’s reign is no longer something you consult after you’ve already decided what matters. It becomes the reference point.

That changes how ordinary life looks.

It could mean choosing honesty even when it costs you leverage. It could mean generosity when fear tells you to tighten your grip. It could mean forgiveness when staying angry feels justified. It could mean refusing to step on people to get ahead.

It’s just real life reordered.

What Jesus Means by “The Kingdom”

The kingdom of God is not heaven later and it’s not a spiritual feeling now. It’s not an abstract idea or a theological category.

The kingdom is God’s reign made visible in the world through a people who live by it.

That definition forces the kingdom out of the clouds and onto the ground.

A kingdom requires a king. A kingdom requires people. A kingdom requires a way of life.

Jesus wasn’t announcing a set of beliefs. He was announcing that God’s reign was breaking into the world and forming a new community with new loyalties.

That means the kingdom shows up in how people treat each other. It shows up in how power is used. It shows up in economics, forgiveness, justice, and mercy. It shows up in everyday decisions.

You can’t reduce that to private spirituality. A kingdom is public. It’s visible. It’s lived.

So when Jesus says “seek first the kingdom,” He’s talking about allegiance.

Who do you belong to?

Who shapes your values?

Who defines success?

What “His Righteousness” Is and Is Not

This is where many readings go off the rails.

“Righteousness” often gets flattened into moral perfection or personal purity. Try harder. Do better. Sin less.

In the Jewish world of Jesus, righteousness meant living in ways that reflected God’s character in community. It meant justice, mercy, honesty, and faithfulness. It meant treating people rightly and keeping commitments.

It was never just about inner morality. It was about how life was lived together.

So when Jesus says “seek his righteousness,” He’s talking about what God’s reign looks like when it’s practiced.

That includes how money is handled. How enemies are treated. How forgiveness works. How truth is spoken.

Jesus had already described righteousness earlier in the Sermon on the Mount. He didn’t leave it vague.

Love enemies. Give quietly. Pray without performing. Forgive without keeping score.

That’s righteousness. Not abstract. Not theoretical. Not theological. Lived.

The Real Context: Anxiety and Survival

Matthew 6 is not a theological essay. It’s a conversation about worry.

Food. Clothing. Money. Tomorrow.

Jesus isn’t chiding people for being anxious. He’s naming the system they’re trapped in. A system where survival becomes the highest priority, and everything else bows to it.

When survival comes first, fear becomes the decision-maker.

People hoard. People compromise. People justify harm. People protect themselves at all costs.

Jesus says there is another way to live.

Seeking the kingdom first means refusing to let fear be the organizing principle of your life. Not denying fear exists. Not pretending life is easy. But choosing not to let anxiety decide what is right.

That’s why Jesus contrasts the kingdom with money. Both promise security. Both demand loyalty. Only one can be trusted without deforming you.

This Is Not a Deal with God

This verse often gets read like a transaction. If I put God first, God will make sure everything works out.

Jesus isn’t offering a bargain. He’s describing how life works under God’s reign.

God’s care is not a reward for obedience. It’s the environment of the kingdom.

When your life is ordered around God’s reign instead of fear, money loses its grip. Anxiety loses its authority. You’re no longer scrambling to secure yourself at the expense of others.

“All these things will be added to you” is not a promise of ease. It’s a statement of trust. A life aligned with God’s reign is not abandoned.

This Is About Allegiance, Not Add-Ons

Kingdom language always forces the question of loyalty.

Who gets first place? Who sets the terms? Who defines what matters?

Seeking the kingdom first means Jesus is not added to your existing life plan. He reshapes it.

That’s why this teaching doesn’t feel harmless once you hear it clearly. It confronts whatever you’ve been trusting to save you.

Some ambitions get questioned. Some habits get exposed. Some fears lose their authority.

This Is a Daily Orientation

This verse is a daily choice, not a one-time decision.

Every day, something sits at the center. Every day, something shapes your reactions. Every day, something defines what you protect.

Seeking the kingdom first doesn’t mean you stop paying bills or planning ahead. It means those things no longer sit on the throne.

Fear doesn’t get first place. Money doesn’t get first place. Reputation doesn’t get first place.

God’s reign does.

What Jesus Is Really Saying

Through this way of defining it, Matthew 6:33 sounds less like a slogan and more like a challenge.

Make God’s reign your highest priority. Live in ways that reflect God’s justice and mercy. Order your life around trust instead of fear. Seek the community shaped by King Jesus and His Kingdom.

No poetry. No spiritual fog. No escape from real life.

Just a clear invitation to live under a different king in the middle of this world.

The Bottom Line

“Seek first the kingdom of God” isn’t about trying harder or worrying less. It’s about deciding what gets first place in your life. Jesus isn’t asking for interest or intention. He’s asking for loyalty.

What actually has first place in my life — and what kind of kingdom is that shaping me into?

© Gary L Ellis