“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt 6:33-34; KJV). This verse in Matthews Gospel is part of an exhortation that we should not worry about the things we need, as God will supply. God answers all of our prayers as long as we ask according to his word (1 John 5:14-15) and in faith (Mark 11:24). In fact, Jesus said to Martha before he raised Lazarus from the dead: “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God" (John 11:40-41)?

As Christians we sometimes need to learn to take the limits off of God, to let him out of the tiny box of expectations that we keep him in. We serve a mighty God, one who created the universe and each of us (Gen 1). James tells us that: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17). That’s every good and perfect gift, and notice it says that God does not change.

The Bible tells us that God wants to open the floodgates of heaven on our lives and bless us so abundantly that we won’t have room to contain it (Mal 3:10). In Ephesians it is written that our God can; “do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Eph 3:20) and in First Corinthians (2:9) Paul tells us that man cannot fathom, grasp or appreciate with his senses all that God has for those who love him.

If we genuinely love and seek after God it is his heart’s desire to bless us in every way possible.

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Do you have a heart's desire to be more like Jesus each day, to walk in his ways, his power and to live the God kind of life? The abundant life Jesus talks about in John 10:10 is the kind of life God lives. Jesus said we could be perfect as God the Father is perfect (Matt 5:48).

It's God's word that brings life: “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciple indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John. 8:31-32, see also Prov 4:22). God’s word has the power to change us (Heb 4:12, Isa 55:11) and can work in us to bring that change about (1 Thess 2:13).

How do we tap into the life changing power of God's word? Well the writer of Psalm 119 shows us the way. He sought God with all his heart (v10) and treated God's word with awe, as a great treasure (v161-162). The writer said he hid the word in his heart and did not forget it (v11,16). He asked God to teach him (v12), he rejoiced and delighted in God's word (v14,16), meditated it (v15) and spoke it out loud (v13). I guess it was a priority to this writer; do you get the picture?

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In Philippians 3:12-14, Paul wrote: “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”. Paul did not claim to have made it as a Christian but he looked forward and pressed in to the things of God that he might be all God wanted him to be.

Jesus told us that because he lives is in us, we can be perfect (John 17:23). In Matthew 11:12, the Apostle described the violent taking the Kingdom of God by force. This describes those who are desperate for God pressing in to him.

What does this all mean? We can aspire to like Jesus but it will take effort on our part. Not fleshly effort but effort in the spiritual realm to press in to know God and be like him. Paul exhorted us to get rid of the old life and habits we walked in before we were Christians and live the life of holiness that God has for us (Eph 4:21-24).    There is no room for complacency or coasting in our spiritual walk. If we want to be all he wants us to be, to have all he has for us and to be used of him we need to press into God in his word and in prayer and fellowship with him every day. As we press in the Holy Spirit will move in our lives to change us, bless us and use us. Try it, the results are Guaranteed.

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“The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man PRESSETH INTO it” (Luke 16:16; KJV). “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matt. 11:12).  

So, who are the “violent men”? We are. These verses speak of an urgency and a passion in following after God and I believe this urgency is birthed in prayer. The apostle Paul also talked about pressing in. In Philippians 3:12-14, he told us that he was pressing in to win the prize and he then encouraged us to do the same thing. People who are seriously training for any kind of athletic event will give it all they've got to win the prize and that is how we need to be about pressing in to God.

We need to be aware of the warnings Jesus gave to the lukewarm church at Laodicea in the book of Revelations: “I know thy works, that they are neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth”.

If we are going to make an impact on our society, our Christianity cannot be halfhearted.

In discovering how we grow in our Christian walk and become more like Jesus, it is often useful to seek the advice of the faith giants in the bible. In 2 Timothy 2:22-25 Paul instructs Timothy as follows: “flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves” (2 Tim 2:22-25; KJV).

Notice Paul does not say to just watch out for sin but to flee (run from, shun it) from it. We are also to pursue or press in actively, aggressively, to righteousness, faith, love, and peace. This requires effort on our part. We need to walk in that right standing with God and build up our faith by speaking the word (Rom 10:17).

God calls us to seek his peace, not the so-called peace that the world offers (John 14:27) and we are to live our lives by God’s unconditional love. If this was not all enough, we are also called to purity.

God hates strife, so don’t argue; it’s as simple as that. Paul says we are to teach each other and call each other on but look at how we are to do it, with gentleness, patience and a real sense of humility; certainly not lording it over others. Wow, lots of meat there but my heart cry is Lord change me; I need to be all you want me to be. How about you?

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