Seek first God's Kingdom

A couple of weeks ago I tried out a new church service. Before they started the sermon, the congregation recited the Lord's Prayer. I half-heartedly recited it along with everyone else and didn't think much of it.

Now, I'm sitting in a coffee shop reading Cynthia Heald's book on prayer, and the chapter I'm at is all about the Lord's Prayer. Interesting. So I start to read through the chapter but don't really dig into it as much as I normally do, because it's the Lord's prayer. I've had it memorized since elementary school, what more is there to learn? Then I get to the last page, and God finally got my attention. Cynthia used the Lord's prayer as a model for her own prayer (you know, putting God's words "Pray then like this" into action). One particular part jumped out at me:

"Your kingdom being established here on earth needs to be a burning concern of mine as I pray and as I live. Wanting Your will and Your glory to be evidenced in our world begins with me."

The only burning concerns I have had as of late are either work related, or super-awesome-spy-tv-show Chuck related. So what kingdom am I establishing? If it all begins with me, then not many people I interact with on a daily basis are seeing evidence of God's glory. Work is becoming my kingdom. My little k. (Yes Dad, I can remember that far back.) I am putting all of my effort into furthering my little k, the kingdom I can control, rather than only concerning myself with the big K, God's Kingdom. Jesus was and is all about the Big K. He came to fully invest himself in the big K, and asks us to do the same:

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness..." Matthew 6:33

I am going to seek the big K, and surrender my little k to Him. If the Lord's will and glory being evidenced in the world begins with me, then I better start focusing on Him! I need to start every day asking God to reveal to me how I can help to establish his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. I need to seek first his kingdom. The rest will follow.

So here is my new focus: (deep breath) I am going to let God show up in my little k rather than keep him separate from it. I think that is going to be awesome (and so very very hard)! God is probably smiling thinking, it's about time Sarah, just trust me already!

So I will end by asking the same question my dad asked last year, what are your little k's? Stop holding on, surrender them to him today. Seek first God's kingdom! You won't regret it:)