Seeking First the Kingdom:
Lessons from the Mustard Seed
By: Christian Postel | CEO
February 10, 2025
Recently, I had breakfast with a friend who helps lead a global ministry I admire. As we caught up, he asked how LLF’s year went in 2024 and what’s ahead in 2025.
My mind immediately went to the metrics and opportunities: Our operating budget grew by 22% from a year ago, we’re hiring a role focused on Unity in the Body of Christ, and we’re on the cusp of multiple opportunities to expand our youth serving ministries.
But before I could speak, the Spirit nudged me. For the last two days, I’d been meditating on Jesus’ parable in Matthew 13:31 about the Kingdom of God being like a mustard seed.
I hesitated before sheepishly responding, “Well, I was about to tell you about our growth and opportunities, but the Spirit reminded me that I began the year praying our team would grow in faith above all else. I guess I’m navigating the tension between both these things.”
A mustard seed is tiny (750 weigh just one gram), but it holds immense potential. It’s not just about starting small and growing large; it’s about thriving in overlooked places, where even the smallest seed can create something that disrupts expectations. Jesus said the mustard seed grows into a tree so large it provides a home for the birds. Similarly, the Kingdom of God grows in places we might overlook, creating refuge, rest, and renewal in ways we might not anticipate.
This image of the mustard seed, small, humble, yet capable of creating shade and shelter, reminds me that success in God’s Kingdom isn’t just about expansion, growth or achieving certain metrics. It’s about what happens in the overlooked, unnoticed spaces: moments of quiet transformation, deepening relationships, and growth in faith.
With 2025 underway, I find myself asking a crucial question: how are we measuring success? Is it by the metrics of the “empire” or by our faithfulness to Jesus and His Kingdom? Both are needed. One is a compass that helps guide us, the other is the foundation that sustains us.
My first instinct to highlight growth and achievement was revealing, wasn’t it? The reality is, the tension I felt between expanding and growing, versus abiding more deeply in Jesus, shouldn’t actually exist. Matthew 6:33 reminds us: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
When we prioritize the Kingdom, everything else naturally follows. It’s not about striving for more; it’s about seeking first what matters most.
As we seek first the Kingdom of God in 2025, we trust that the growth and opportunities will follow according to God’s timing, knowing that our priority is to faithfully steward the Kingdom in the spaces where the mustard seed grows. May you enjoy a glimpse of this heavenly reality throughout our newsletter and throughout the year ahead.