31 August | Teens
«But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.» Matthew 6: 33
When you hear the word “kingdom”, what comes to your mind? Perhaps you think of the kingdoms of biology (mineral, animal and vegetable), governmental kingdoms or even chili peppers. Usually, when we talk about “kingdoms”, we think of medieval kingdoms, like those portrayed in the movie Braveheart, with a king, his army, subjects, laws, etc.
Of all the types of kingdoms, the most famous are the monarchical ones. Did you know that there are currently 33 monarchical kingdoms? Of these, 15 are part of the United Kingdom, led by King Charles III. But today we're going to talk about a special kingdom, different from all the others: the Kingdom of God. Jesus came to our world to inaugurate this new kingdom.
In the Kingdom of God, things work differently. It's not a kingdom of castles and golden crowns, but a kingdom where people live according to Jesus' teachings. It's a kingdom of love, peace and justice. And the amazing thing is that we are all invited to be part of that kingdom!
To be part of the Kingdom of God, we don't need to be rich or powerful. We just need to accept Jesus into our hearts and live as he taught us. Today's text challenges us to put this kingdom first in our lives, and God will take care of everything else we need. Remember: you are part of a kingdom, isn't that wonderful news?
Take Action
Build a castle out of Lego or some other toy. As you build it, think about what it's like to be part of God's kingdom and try to put that kingdom first every day of your life.