The kingdom of God is the only reality out of which the Blessed Trinity has summoned us to live. Jesus has called us to join him in experiencing his life of love with the Father and the Spirit. He has redeemed humanity specifically for his kingdom life.
As we learn the rhythms of his kingdom, our lives naturally begin to take on its flavor, aroma, and culture. In what we might call “Kingdom Culture,” the foundation is always love. Love toward neighbor, brother, and sister is the guiding principle.
[Jesus] answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” Luke 10:27 NRSVUE
Admittedly it is sometimes easy to become distracted by all the stuff we need or want. The busyness of life may tempt us to lay aside the ways of the kingdom for the sake of expedience. At times, we lose our patience with others when we’re in a hurry. We may argue with a friend over politics. We may hold back our generosity to buy something we want or ignore Kingdom Culture in other ways.
However, we need not worry about those things. Jesus said, in Matthew 6:33, that his desire for us was to seek the kingdom (with all its right-relationships), and then all that other stuff would be added to us.
Here’s an exercise for our daily devotions as we seek first the kingdom. In your prayer journal, prayerfully make a list of all the things that you think do have a place in the kingdom of God. Then make a list of all the things that you think don’t have a place in the kingdom of God. Once you have made the two lists, ask God to enliven you to focus on the first one.
Prayer:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, please show me someone to love today. Amen.
By Bill Winn, Pastor
Mechanicsville, VA, US
