[1]NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–The Kingdom of God is an exciting, life-changing way to live and to serve. It will impact every area of your personal life:
— You will listen to the news and read the paper with a new perspective.
— You will view the events of daily life with a Kingdom focus.
— Standing in line at the checkout counter will no longer be a humdrum waste of time but potentially a Kingdom opportunity.
— You will view with different eyes the financial and time resources at your disposal.
— You will begin to ask, “How can I use my home for Kingdom purposes?”
[2]— Your time at work and play will take on new meaning.
— You will be motivated to do your job with even greater excellence.
— You will begin raising your children with an eye on how to best prepare them for life in the Kingdom, instilling in them the Kingdom principles that will position them ever at Christ’s command.
Much is at stake if we fail to grasp the meaning of the Kingdom for us:
— We will fail to understand what is most important our Lord, what was on the heart of God from before the creation of the world.
— We will fail to see God’s Kingdom activity all around us.
— We will fail to enjoy the privilege of participating in supernatural work.
— We will fail to employ the available power of the Holy Spirit.
— We will miss the joy of knowing that we have been pleasing to our Father.
— We will miss the exhilarating freedom that comes from radical obedience.
— We will miss the opportunity to experience God’s abundant provision and will continue to be plagued by worry, fear and anxiety.
— Saddest of all, we will miss God’s purpose for our lives.
To live with this kind of Kingdom focus is not merely one viable choice among a long list of priority-setting options and life-management techniques.
For the believer in Christ, living in the Kingdom is the only reality there is. To “seek first the Kingdom” is to have all these other things “provided for you” (Matthew 6:33).
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Adapted from “Empowering Kingdom Growth: The Heartbeat of God” by Ken Hemphill, national strategist for the EKG emphasis in the Southern Baptist Convention.