NEVER LOSE SIGHT OF THIS!
Matt. 6:33 (NASB)
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.
Matt. 6:33 (NLT)
Seek the kingdom of God above all else and live righteously and he will give you everything you need.
Through all my adult years, this verse has been my prime directive, the primary focus of my life. It is burned into my heart and mind. This pursuit has guided all my decisions and life choices. His Kingdom, His righteousness, His Kingdom, His righteousness, over and over again. I have read and re-read this passage of the Bible so many times, I have lost count.
I’ve dedicated my life to building the kingdom of God, and to pursue Christ-like righteousness in my daily life. But, I knew the single most important, influential place I can and must do this was in my own home, in my own family, in the hearts and lives of my children. It is my home where I have the most control, the greatest freedom to choose, to set an agenda, to implement that agenda, and to influence, shape, guide, speak into, and bring about Kingdom of God culture and values, righteous behavior, and nurture love and adoration for our King!
Though I founded and pastored churches for 32 years, I have often reflected on how limited my ability was to control the agenda, to get pastors to all agree on the agenda, or to permanently instill the Kingdom of God values in people’s hearts, to get them to live righteously, courageously, and remain faithful to God. Still, I gave it my all, heart and soul, for I knew it honored and pleased God. Many times I felt like the prophet Jeremiah, passionately crying out, yet many refused to listen and heed my words!
Those of you going to your job every single day working for your employer know first hand how very little you can control the agenda at your job, or influence and implement any Kingdom of God values and policy decisions at your company. Of course, you can let your bright light shine forth the Kingdom of God in your work, words, and deeds.
It was in my home, in my family, where I had the God-given authority and freedom to fully implement and instill Kingdom of God values, Kingdom of God attitudes, Kingdom of God behaviors, and Kingdom of God righteousness. It was in my home and over our lives that I could boldly declare like Joshua of old, “As for me and my family we will worship and serve the Lord!” And that is exactly what we did.
It was in my home and my family I could choose the curriculum. It was in my home and family that I could grow and foster a Kingdom of God culture and ethos. It was in my home and family that I had the authority to instill, cultivate, and enforce righteous behavior, upright conduct, and godly attitudes and Biblically defined morality and sexuality. It was in my home I could influence how we talked to each other and how we treated each other. It was in my home that my wife and I could model the Kingdom of God values to our children. It was in my home where we could lift up and exalt the Word of God and teach it to our children unhindered, and imprint it on their hearts and minds. It was in my home where we could lift our voices to God in prayer, give Him thanks, and declare our dependence upon Him! It was in my home where we could insist on certain standards and expectations that conformed to the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. It was in my home that I was free of the tyranny of the mob or compromising Christians. How I treasure the home and family! This is the reason I devoted so much of my ministry years, and now, the rest of my life through Strong Disciple ministry to help you succeed in your home, marriage and family!
This is why the Marxist, the Communist, the feminist, the democratic progressive left are always striving to disrupt the nuclear family, to denigrate fathers, and marriage, to take the children out of your home by legislated laws as early as they possibly can. Some countries even mandate pre-school as a way to force your children out from under your influence and authority at the earliest age possible. They want the power to control, implement, and enforce their agenda, their “evil kingdom of this world values,” and their secular definitions of right and wrong in your children’s lives! They know the surest way to do this is to take your kids from you, out of the home by force of law!
Fathers, mothers, do not squander this God-given opportunity to build the Kingdom of God and His righteousness in your home, marriage, and family. If you fail to do so, you will regret it for the rest of your life. Do not let the less important things of this world ever diminish your commitment to seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness. God will take care of you for putting His Kingdom and His righteousness first and foremost.
