Seeking His Kingdom (part 4)
Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be yours as well. -Matthew 6:3
This week seeking His kingdom before mine looks like swapping out a planned writing session for listening to a heart-breaking story and making space to let the teller see where Jesus had intervened on her behalf. It looks like squeezing the schedule to make room for a pair of young children whose mother must go to court and trust that the judge will rule with God’s wisdom on their behalf. It encompasses setting aside discipling students to have time to celebrate my son’s birthday.
It also includes having a longer list of prayers answered with a “no” than the ones that got a “yes.” I have a neighbor who has suffered many losses since coming to this neighborhood: deaths of a child, a grandchild, a brother; onset of cancer, loss of a job… Each time I offer to pray for him, I have to wonder, if God doesn’t answer, will I look like a fool? Will God look like He doesn’t care? Or does not have the power needed?
Jesus says to “pray and not lose heart.” Today, that means both to keep asking how to pray and to keep praying, without becoming discouraged. It’s hard when He seems to say “no.” …a lot.
He also says, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” He was perfect at remaining “in the Father,” yet His prayer to not go through the suffering was not answered… except today, the Holy Spirit reminds me that was only part of His prayer; the rest was: “Yet, not my will, but Yours be done.” Taken as a whole, His prayer did get a “yes,” because what He really wanted was to fulfill what He had come to do.
Isn’t that what we really want, too — to do what we were created for?
Christi
PS How are you seeking His kingdom? I’d love to hear from you.
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