Dr. Myles Munroe starts the book Applying the Kingdom by pointing to how we base our definition of our worth on the things we possess instead of who we are. Because of that we chase things and prioritize getting more. But this is not God’s priority for our lives.
One of the primary assignments of Jesus Christ on earth was to reestablish our priorities and make them align with God’s priorities for us. But why are priorities so important?
What is Priority by Dr. Myles Munroe
According to Dr. Myles Munroe, a priority is the principal thing upon which we place our primary focus. It is that thing we consider to be of highest value and worth, first among all others.
Establishing priorities means ranking everything in order of importance, determining which is most important, and then focusing our time, attention, and energy there. It is a matter of putting first things first.
Benefits of Having Right Priorities
The key to effective use of time is correct priorities
Correct priority is the principle of progress
Correct priority also protects time
Correct priority protects energy.
Correct priority protects talents and gifts.
Correct priority also protects decisions
Correct priority protects discipline
Correct priority simplifies life
The Priority of the Kingdom: The Ultimate Priority of God for Man
So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. - Matthew 6:31-33 NIV
From this scripture, God’s priority for mankind is clearly stated. He wants us to prioritize His Kingdom and His righteousness above everything else.
According to Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the priorities of humans follow this sequence: food, water, clothes, housing, protection, security, preservation, self-actualization, and significance.
Yet Jesus Christ said it is only pagans who seek after food and clothes. Meaning if you live your life like every other human and follow the sequence of Maslow, you are practicing paganism based on God’s standard.
God is looking for Kingdom-possessed people. Kingdom-possessed people do not live just to make a living; they live for the Kingdom. Kingdom-possessed people do not work just to get a paycheck; they work for the Kingdom. Kingdom-possessed people do not strive day in and day out to meet their needs; they strive continually for the Kingdom.
As Kingdom citizens and children of God, they know that all these things already belong to them. Kingdom-possessed people understand that their lives are not for the pursuit of selfish gain but for seeking opportunities to introduce others to the Kingdom.
For Kingdom-possessed people, all of life is about the Kingdom of God. To be Kingdom-possessed means to have the Kingdom of God as our sole
priority, for the Kingdom priority demands an exclusive claim on our lives.
The Kingdom of God is so vast that our pursuit of it will fill us to capacity so that we have no room for other priorities. It also will satisfy us so completely that we have no need for other priorities. All the priorities that we recognize as essential or beneficial to life will be satisfied when we set our hearts to seek first the Kingdom of God.
This is His promise to us. But He requires our exclusive allegiance. He demands from us our whole heart, our undivided loyalty.
The Test of Kingdom Priority
The test of Kingdom Priority is your ability to give up everything you own. Ownership will stop you from entering the Kingdom. This doesn’t mean you should not own things but they must not own you. When you can’t give up the things you own, they own you.
In Luke 18:18-30, Jesus asked a rich man to sell all that he had if he wanted to inherit eternal life. The goal was not to strip him of all he had but to take away his attachment to them.
Jesus proved this by telling his disciples that anyone who leaves anything for His sake will get a hundred times more. So He wants you to have them but He doesn’t want them to have you. They shouldn’t be the object of your pursuit. The Kingdom of God should be your only pursuit.
The moment things (status, reputation, money, possessions, relationships) no longer have you and you prioritize seeking God’s Kingdom, those things will begin to chase after you. That’s a path of peace.
Instead of chasing millions of things, you can chase just the Kingdom and God’s righteousness and all the million other things will be added to you.
How To Seek The Kingdom of God by Myles Munroe
1. Pursue the Kingdom with vigor and determination
The first step to seeking the Kingdom of God is setting your heart and mind to it. God said you will only find Him when you seek with all your heart. Your mind should be made and your whole heart involved towards the matters of the Kingdom of God.
2. Study the Kingdom
The second step to seeking the Kingdom is becoming a student of the Kingdom. And as a student, you gather as many resources as you can find in your quest for getting to know and understand and experience the Kingdom.
3. Explore the Kingdom
Seeking the Kingdom means going on an adventure in the Kingdom. You must give yourself over and do the work as they are revealed to you. When you discover tithing, you dive into it; when you discover prayer, you dive into it, and so on. Allow the Kingdom to determine your itinerary.
4. Understand the Kingdom
You do not truly own a thing until you understand it. Understanding means not just knowing what but how, when, where, and so on. You should have no guesses about the laws and principles of the Kingdom and how they operate.
5. Learn the Kingdom
Learning is more than mental knowledge of facts and information; the knowledge must be reproducible in practical terms. This means demonstrating the ability to perform the action learned as well as teach it to someone else so that they learn it also.
6. Meditate on the Kingdom
Meditation means taking the time to consider, to sit, and ponder something in an effort to understand. After your study, learning, and exploration, you must take out time to think about all you have found to chart a course for more exploration.
7. Have a passionate desire to know the Kingdom
Your longing for the Kingdom must remain ever fresh. God only pours water on those who are thirsty. You are seeking the Kingdom when you continually desire to understand and taste it. Your activities should be sponsored by a passionate desire.
8. Have diligent dedication toward the Kingdom
Diligence always involves discipline. You must put away other important things, readjust your schedules and restructure your life to give you time for the things of the Kingdom. Your pursuit of the Kingdom should restrain you from some things.
9. Become preoccupied with the Kingdom
Your daily activities, whether at work or at home, must be done with the consciousness of the Kingdom. In everything you do, your mind should be in search of how it can be used as a tool to promote the Kingdom of God.
This is how you seek the Kingdom.
Start Your Kingdom Journey Now
Before we continue, since we have talked about studying, learning, understanding, meditation, and exploring, I will like to give you some resources that will help you with that so you don’t just hear without taking action. These are mentorship materials from Dr. Myles Munroe worth over $1,000. Get instant access here now.
4 Ironies of Life by Dr. Myles Munroe
In Applying the Kingdom, Dr. Myles Munroe identified 4 ironies of life.
1. The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but life without a purpose.
Many people today are obsessed with finding ways to prolong their lives. They are so caught up with trying to live longer that they never stop to consider why they are living at all.
2. The greatest challenge in life is knowing what to do.
We get up every day and go about our daily activities, but are we doing what we are supposed to be doing? With all the options and choices that lie before us every day, that can be a difficult question to answer.
3. The greatest mistake in life is being busy, but not effective.
Being busy is a common human pastime. But just because you’re busy doesn’t mean that what you’re doing is worth doing. Many people deceive themselves into believing that being busy all the time gives their lives significance. Significance has nothing to do with busyness but everything to do with effectiveness.
4. The greatest failure in life is being successful in the wrong assignment.
Success alone is not enough; you must succeed in the right thing. Sincerity alone is not enough because you can be sincerely wrong. Faithfulness alone is not enough because you can be faithful to the wrong faith. Commitment alone is not enough because you can be committed to the wrong cause. Succeeding in the wrong assignment is failure.
The moment we prioritize God’s priorities for our lives and have a Kingdom first priority, these ironies of life are immediately set in place. We find purpose in God’s agenda, we know what to do based on God’s agenda, we become effective by contributing to what truly matters, and we become successful by focusing on the right assignment.
One of the fundamental keys to success in any field of endeavor is learning to establish priorities and then living by them. That is the central message of Applying the Kingdom by Dr. Myles Munroe.
Any activity that does not fit into or advance any of those priorities is put on the backburner or even eliminated, even if that activity is good in and of itself.
Even good activities, if they are incompatible with our established Kingdom priorities, can become unnecessary distractions that hinder our progress toward success. Our priority is God’s Kingdom and His righteousness.
Don’t forget to grab your Lifetime Access to over $1,000 worth of mentorship materials from Dr. Myles Munroe on purpose, leadership, success, wealth, and the Kingdom. Get instant access to all life-changing materials now!
Olusegun Iyejare is a career coach and certified counselor. He helps individuals discover and maximize their potential to live satisfying lives regardless of obvious limitations holding them back.
