June 21st, 2026: Celebrate God, Not Pride
Seek First the Kingdom of God: What Orthodox Christians Believe About Serving God Instead of the Self Orthodox Christians believe that the Christian life is not built around self-expression, self-rule, or personal desire, but around seeking the Kingdom of God first. In Matthew 6:22-33, Jesus Christ teaches that the eye must be sound, the heart must be undivided, and no one can serve two masters. The Orthodox Church teaches that salvation is found by turning away from the rule of the self and learning to live in obedience, prayer, repentance, and the life of the Church.
This Gospel passage speaks directly to one of the deepest struggles of modern life: the temptation to make the self the center of everything. People are often told to follow every desire, define themselves however they wish, and treat personal happiness as the highest good. Orthodox Christianity gives a different answer: true freedom is not doing whatever we want, but being healed so we can love God, obey Him, and become fully human in His Kingdom.
Why Orthodox Christians Seek First the Kingdom of God
In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord says, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well” (Matthew 6:33). This is not a small religious suggestion. It is the whole shape of Christian life.
To seek first the Kingdom means that God becomes the center of our choices, our desires, our homes, our habits, and our identity. It means we stop asking only, “What do I want?” and begin asking, “What does God want from me?” The Orthodox Church teaches that this is the path of repentance and healing.
The Gospel also says, “No one can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24). A person cannot serve God and also make the self into a god. If we try to keep God as one part of life while our desires rule everything else, our heart becomes divided.
The Sound Eye and the Undivided Heart
What does it mean that the eye is the lamp of the body?
In Matthew 6:22-23, the Lord says that if the eye is sound, the whole body will be full of light, but if the eye is bad, the whole body will be full of darkness. The eye is not only about physical sight. It is also about the way we see God, ourselves, other people, and the world.
If our spiritual vision is clear, we begin to see life according to the truth of God. We see sin as sickness, repentance as healing, and obedience as freedom. But if our vision is darkened by pride, passion, anger, lust, greed, or self-will, then even our choices that seem reasonable can lead us away from God.
Saint John Chrysostom often taught that the heart must be trained to desire heavenly things instead of being mastered by earthly things. This does not mean the created world is evil. It means that even good things become harmful when they replace God as the center of life.
Why is self-rule spiritually dangerous?
The modern world often says, “Be true to yourself,” as if every desire inside us is good and trustworthy. Orthodox Christians believe something much more honest about the human heart. Because of sin, our desires are often confused, wounded, and in need of healing.
From the fall of Adam and Eve, sin has involved the same basic movement: the creature trying to live apart from the Creator. In Genesis, the temptation was not only to eat forbidden fruit. It was to decide good and evil without God.
That same temptation appears in every age. We may say, “I know what the Church teaches, but I will live my own way.” We may say, “I know what the Gospel commands, but my situation is different.” This is how self-will slowly becomes a master.
The Orthodox Church does not teach this to shame people who struggle. Everyone struggles. The Church teaches this because sin does not become harmless simply because it feels personal, familiar, or difficult to give up.
What does the Orthodox Church teach about identity?
Orthodox Christianity teaches that our deepest identity is not created by our passions, feelings, politics, wounds, or social labels. Our true identity is found in God, because we are made in His image and called to become like Him. This is why the Church calls every person to repentance, not because people are hated, but because people are loved.
In the Orthodox Church, the human person is not reduced to desire. A person is not simply whatever he feels in a given moment. The Church sees each person as someone created for holiness, communion, resurrection, and eternal life.
This is why the Christian life cannot be built around affirming every desire. Some desires must be healed. Some must be resisted. Some must be brought into confession, prayer, fasting, and obedience so that the heart can become free.
Why can’t Christians serve both God and the self?
When the Gospel says no one can serve two masters, it is speaking about loyalty. A master is not just something we like. A master is something that directs us, claims us, and tells us how to live.
If comfort is our master, we will avoid repentance whenever it becomes hard. If pride is our master, we will refuse correction. If desire is our master, we will call obedience cruel whenever it asks us to change.
But if God is our Master, then we learn to say, “Not my will, but Yours.” This is not slavery in the worldly sense. It is the beginning of freedom, because only God can heal the human heart.
How does obedience fit into Orthodox Christianity?
Obedience is difficult for many people, especially in a culture that treats personal independence as the highest good. Many of us have been trained to think that no one should tell us what to do. But the Gospel does tell us what to do, and the Church helps us learn how to live it.
Orthodox obedience is not blind control or spiritual abuse. It is the humble willingness to be taught, corrected, and formed within the life of the Church. A Christian cannot grow if he only obeys when he already agrees.
This applies to teachings on morality, prayer, fasting, confession, worship, and the way we live with one another. The Church is not a religious product that adjusts itself to every preference. It is the household of God, where we learn to be healed together.
Why do Orthodox Christians fast and pray?
Fasting and prayer are not empty religious rules. They train the heart to seek God first. They teach the body and soul that every desire does not need to be obeyed.
When the Church calls Orthodox Christians to fast, it is not because food is bad. It is because self-control is good. Fasting helps us see how often we are ruled by appetite, habit, and convenience.
Prayer does the same work in a different way. When we pray, we return the mind and heart to God. We remember that we are not the center of the universe, and we ask for the grace to live as Christians.
Why is coming to church so important?
Orthodox Christianity is not meant to be lived only in private thoughts or personal opinions. The Christian life is lived in the Church, through worship, repentance, the sacraments, Scripture, fasting, prayer, and community. To seek first the Kingdom means we actually come to the place where the Kingdom is being revealed.
Divine Liturgy is central, but the life of the Church is larger than only Sunday morning. Vespers, feasts, prayers at home, confession, acts of mercy, and daily repentance all shape the heart. These things train us to live for God instead of drifting with the world.
Saint Basil the Great taught that Christians are formed by the common life of prayer, discipline, and love. We are not saved as isolated consumers. We are healed as members of the Body of Christ.
How should Christians respond to a culture of pride?
The Christian response to pride is not hatred, panic, or cruelty. It is repentance, truth, courage, and love. The first battle is not to complain about the world, but to let God change us.
If Orthodox Christians want to bear witness to the truth, they must live the truth visibly. They should pray before meals, cross themselves without shame, speak of the faith naturally, attend services faithfully, and let their homes reflect the life of the Church. A hidden faith rarely teaches anyone anything.
This does not mean every Christian must have a perfect answer to every question. It means our lives should point toward the Kingdom. When others see peace, repentance, courage, humility, and joy, they begin to see what the Gospel does in a human life.
What does repentance look like in daily life?
Repentance begins with the simple decision to seek God first in the next choice. If we are angry, we pray for the person we resent. If we are not fasting, we begin with the guidance of the Church. If we are skipping worship, we return.
If we are ruled by a passion, we bring it into the light through confession and honest struggle. If we have made comfort our master, we choose obedience even when it is inconvenient. If we are embarrassed by the faith, we begin living it openly and humbly.
No one becomes holy overnight. The Orthodox Church teaches that the spiritual life is a lifelong path of healing. But the first step must actually be taken.
Why does this Gospel matter for salvation?
The Lord does not say, “Seek the Kingdom when everything else is finished.” He says to seek it first. This means salvation is not an accessory added to a self-directed life.
Salvation is the healing and reordering of the whole person. The heart must be turned toward God. The mind must be filled with light. The body must be offered in obedience. The whole life must become an offering.
Orthodox Christians believe that God gives grace for this struggle. We do not save ourselves by effort alone. But we also cannot claim to seek God while refusing the path He gives us.
How can someone begin seeking the Kingdom of God?
Begin simply and honestly. Come to church. Pray each day. Fast according to the guidance of the Church. Go to confession. Ask God to show you where self-will is ruling your life.
Do not wait until you feel ready. The desire to change often comes after we begin obeying, not before. A person who waits for perfect feelings may never begin.
The invitation of the Gospel is urgent, but it is also merciful. Right now, we can turn toward God. Right now, we can ask for light. Right now, we can begin to seek first the Kingdom.
The Orthodox Church offers a way of life that heals the heart and teaches us to live for God instead of the self. This path is not always easy, but it is full of grace. Come and see the life of the Church, and learn what it means to seek first the Kingdom of God.
FAQ About Seeking First the Kingdom of God
What does “seek first the Kingdom of God” mean?
It means that God must come before personal desire, comfort, success, and self-will. Orthodox Christians believe this happens through repentance, worship, prayer, fasting, obedience, and life in the Church.
Why does the Orthodox Church talk so much about obedience?
Obedience helps heal pride and self-will. It teaches Christians to receive the Gospel as a way of life, not just as an idea they control.
Is fasting required in Orthodox Christianity?
Fasting is a normal part of Orthodox Christian life, though it should be practiced with guidance, wisdom, and mercy. The goal is not rule-keeping for its own sake, but healing the heart and learning self-control.
Can someone be Orthodox and still live however they want?
No. The Orthodox Church teaches that faith must shape the whole life. Everyone struggles, but Christians are called to repentance, not to make peace with sin.
How do I start living a more Orthodox Christian life?
Start by attending services, praying daily, speaking with a priest, fasting as you are able, and bringing your struggles to confession. The goal is not instant perfection, but a steady return to God.