The word “pandemic” is, unsurprisingly, the word of the year for Dictionary.com. Probably one of the runners-up is the word “unprecedented.” Those words adequately describe 2020 in many ways.
Yet for Alabama Baptists and other evangelical believers, those words fail to describe how our Lord has been at work despite the global virus that has impacted almost every life on the planet.
For me, the word “Kingdom” is a better descriptor for what has happened in 2020. Despite a viral pandemic, churches have been adept at adapting. Pastors and other church leaders have had the Kingdom on their minds and in their hearts because the Great Commission has not been in quarantine.
Due to the pandemic, Alabama Baptists did not have the opportunity to meet in person in our annual meeting this year. The online State Missions Celebration did serve as a way to highlight the things that God has been doing among us during this unusual period.
Our Convention theme was to be Matthew 6:33. For believers, this is among the most familiar verses in the Bible.
Matthew 6:33 reminds us that the Kingdom of God is our Perspective. It is our worldview. We are to see through the eyes of Christ, eternally not temporally.
This verse calls us to remember that the Kingdom of God is our Pursuit. The word “seek” in Matthew 6:33 is a present tense verb, meaning we are to go after something that is most important.
People today often speak of their passion. They might express that they have a passion for this or that. We really ought to point to our pursuit: the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.
Consider also that Matthew 6:33 reminds us of our Priority. We are to seek first His Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is not to be placed somewhere on our top ten list. It is our only agenda.
Reflect upon Matthew 6:33 intensely, and you will remember our Lord’s Promise: “All of these things will be added to you.” This means everything we need to be Kingdom focused is promised to us.
Yes, the pandemic has been devastating. People have died. Businesses have closed. Churches have had to go online. Yet the Kingdom of God marches on!
