04-18-24-ENG.

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Matthew 6:33
In the past, we often saw great hatred toward our nation due to our association with Israel. Since Israel was hated deeply by many nations, our public association with Israel brought animosity toward us as well. What Jesus is saying in this final kingdom value is that if and when you publicly align with Him and claim His kingdom values system as your own, others are going to feel about you what they feel about Him. And since they obviously didn’t want Him—they even crucified Him—you can expect the same level of disdain toward you. The issue you’ll face when you adopt a kingdom values system is that Christ’s values system conflicts with the system of this world order. There’s a clash of opinions that will show up in how you wind up being treated.

As you adopt the values of the kingdom, it will create issues. It will provoke insults. It could negatively impact your potential for promotion or a raise at work. It could negatively impact who likes you on the job. It could negatively impact who invites you to lunch during break. Living and speaking according to the ethics of the kingdom will affect your associations elsewhere. This is because living with a kingdom values system in the midst of a world that doesn’t buy into that values system will invite rejection and hate. Last I checked, none of us want to experience rejection. None of us enjoy experiencing hate. And it’s natural not to want these things in your life. So, in order to truly live according to the kingdom values system, you’re going to need to resist the urge to tweak it to fit the culture.

You’re going to need to resist your internal impulse to stay under the radar of those around you. You’re going to need to dig deep and discover the courage and bravery that is required for standing up in defense of the truth, which is so frequently attacked and maligned today. You can’t change the kingdom values and still access the blessing. You can’t rewrite them and expect to get the favor from God that is tied to them. His blessing comes when you adopt His values and live them out in your life. What God desires in establishing this incentivized kingdom values system is maintaining a standard of righteousness in an evil-infiltrated world. He has not changed His standard just because society ignores it. He desires that we rise up to it as a way of manifesting Him and His presence to those around us.

When we do that, we call attention to Him. We bring Him glory. We honor Him as we point out just how far off the mark Satan’s world order truly is, as well as those who have chosen to operate by it. When you and I carry the light of the values of the kingdom within the spheres of influence we live in, we reflect God’s standard to others. We help others to see where they need to adjust, repent, and grow as well. Sure, they may not like that. They may not appreciate that. But if they respond to God’s kingdom standard themselves, they will eventually be blessed by it, too. 

Reaction:
Why is it important to replace your standards with God’s? What is one specific standard you need to align more with God’s? Describe the challenges you have to raising this standard in your own life. 

Prayer:
Jesus, help me to live according to Your righteous standards and seek Your kingdom above all else. Show me how to glorify You in everything that I do because I want to honor You always. In Your name I pray, amen.