Kingdom Living

All week, I have been struggling with the phrase, “Kingdom Living.” In other words, what does it mean to pray, “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10 NIV)? What does it mean to “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else” (Matthew 6:33 NLT)? And … How many of us are actually seek God’s Kingdom as the highest priority of our lives?

Jesus taught a revolutionary way of doing life. He taught that we are to replace “self” as the center of the universe, and instead place God at the center of our lives. After making that realignment of focus and priority, we are then called to live the rest of our lives as servants of Christ; not seeking attention, glory, or comfort, but instead seeking God’s will to be fulfilled.

Now I acknowledge that this is a challenging calling and it is easier to describe in words than it is to live out in reality. And yet I am convinced this is the call to follow Jesus! Jesus calls us to learn life from him with the following invitation: “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34 NLT).

In a practical sense this means that you and I must be willing to deny selfish desires, to be willing to sacrifice, to be willing to be ridiculed by others, and to even endure suffering so that God’s will can be accomplished in our lives and in our relationships with others. Jesus did not promise that following him would be an easy life, but he did promise that it would be worth it. In fact Jesus said, “I assure you that everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, will be repaid many times over in this life, and will have eternal life in the world to come” (Luke 18:29-30 NLT).

Are you embracing “Kingdom Living?” If not, what is holding you back from experiencing the rewarding life that Jesus promised?