Who Will Rule?

Global pandemic. Crashed economy. Racial pain. City violence. 2020 has been quite the year. A polarized nation elects a president. 50% of us will be disheartened by the outcome. Are we having fun yet? It often feels like this world is spinning out of control.

Of course, none of this is new. From a political perspective, consider that early Christians withstood 14 years of rule by a cruel and insane Nero who persecuted Christians. Yet they lived in the confidence of the Lordship of Jesus Christ as they faced discrimination and even death. They spent their lives ministering the Gospel to the world, in both word and acts of love, even as they yearned for Jesus’ return.

The early Christians experienced themselves as a “chosen race” and “a people for his own possession.” They were no longer from here but from where Jesus had ascended. Heaven was now their homeland…their nation.

This great sense of belonging also made them strangers on earth. They had to live here while ever looking up. They had to try to avoid settling down and be at home in a world bent on creating it’s own fulfillment. We don’t live here—we live in Christ, for Christ. So, Peter would go on to remind them, “Dear friends, I warn you as temporary residents and foreigners to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.” (1 Peter 2:11). The ascended Christ reminds his people that there is no life for us if we make this world our home.

At the same time, we do love here. Peter also named us “a royal priesthood, a holy nation.” He recalled the ancient vocation of Israel . God’s people were called out of the world to be different to show the world who the real king was. So, those who belong to the reigning Jesus can never identify this world as home but we are always sent back into the world to “show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9). Our mission is to lovingly live the difference between those who have been united to Christ the King and those who still live in darkness. We are odd to the world precisely to offer a distinct way of hope, forgiveness, peace, and life.

The early church reminds us that we don’t live here but we do love here. This truth can help us in these crazy days to know it’s not crazy to think things aren’t right. They’re not! And they won’t be until Christ returns and arrives here to set things back in order. We’re not in control but the world is not out of Christ’s control. We’re not supposed to feel at home. But we are supposed to love with the heart of the reigning King.

May you fully trust in Jesus during these tumultuous times. May you feel secure that God is really in control. May you know God knows you and walks with you during this crazy year. Blessings on your journey.

Our congregation just had it’s “Mission Sunday” this past Sunday. It’s the day we fully acknowledge God’s call to us to be in the world and sharing his story in multiple ways. It’s the day we ask our church to financially back where our leadership team feels we are being called into the story. It’s an incredibly encouraging time to reflect and dream. But how persistent are we ready to be when it comes to retelling the greatest story ever told?

Jesus asks us in Luke 18:8, “…when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”

This question cuts right to the heart. Jesus is asking: when I come back at the end of time, will I find any faith in the world? The question we have to ask ourselves is what kind of faith is Jesus talking about? Is Jesus simply talking about adhering to a long list of rules? Is he hoping that when he comes back he will find us all being super pious and rigidly religious? I don’t think so. Instead Jesus wants to know if he will find us living in relationship with God. That’s ultimately what faith is all about: living life in relationship with God.

God wants a relationship of love with us. He already has a relationship with us and loves us beyond our wildest imagining. He wants us to enter into this relationship of love with him, and allow it to transform our relationships with everyone — our family, our friends, our coworkers, the sick, the poor, and everyone we meet.Our challenge is to find ways that we can grow in our relationship with God and let that relationship spread into all of our other relationships in life.

How can we do this? Certainly through prayer: talking to God, speaking to him as a friend, as a father who loves us, giving thanks at the end of the day, taking time to go on a walk through nature, maybe even going to church or reading the Bible.

Faith starts in prayer but it doesn’t end there: it sends us out to love in return for God’s love for us. Faith leads us to help out a friend who's in need, to show our love for our family, to take time to help the poor in our community, to talk to a homeless person, to volunteer in the hospital. The question for us is: what concrete steps can we take this week to grow in our relationship of love with God and let it spread throughout our whole life? Then Jesus will surely find faith on the earth when he returns.

May you prayerfully answer the call to live missionally! May you lean into the story of God every day. May you experience the joy of passing on the story of God in your every day story! Blessings on the journey.

Life Remedy

Halloween is approaching. I remember as a young guy getting that bag full of candy, getting back home, sorting out what I really liked and gorging myself. Afterwards I would be sick to my stomach, wishing I had paced myself.

You know in life, we do that don’t we? We see what we think is a good thing and we go after it. We devour it, thinking it’s what we need when in fact, there is something better out there. I may think money is the answer so I work 70 hour weeks. I do get the paycheck but my marriage suffers and I never see the my kids.

I may think it’s about physical relationship so, whether I am married or not, I may seek to fulfill my physical desires and need for psychologically stroking by inviting multiple partners into my life. I may think it’s all about the title on the door so I backstab and hurt people in order to get to the top of that corporate ladder.

We have all made poor decisions in our lives that remind us there is only one way for us to be safe, healthy, relationally rich and family satisfied…it’s in Jesus we find the ability to truly live life and live it to the fullest. Jesus tells us that in John 10:10, “Jesus has come to give us (his disciples) a rich and satisfying life.” But we must believe that it’s life in Him that will be so full and so rich. And we discover some truths along the way when we choose the way of Jesus over our own life decision.

When we choose Jesus, we walk with God as his son or daughter. Paul uses adoption language in Galatians 4:5-7. God loves you more than you love your own children! I love my two boys. I’d do anything for them. It’s hard to believe I serve a God who loves me more than that…but He does! And there is no amount of accomplishment that will make him love you more. He doesn’t base his love of you on your ability to be perfect or study the Bible more or eat certain foods. He just loves you. In Jesus, you’re his son…his daughter.

And when you choose Jesus, we walk with God as part of his family. God never designed us to journey alone. We are meant to be in community. Paul uses adoption language again in Ephesians 1:5. We are adopted into the family of God. That is why the church exists. It’s the family of God. Now, like your family, there are all kinds of characters. And God’s family is the same. As we watch each other, I Iearn what it means to forgive and be inclusive and offer grace and be patient. Hopefully, you’re learning some of that from me as well. In Jesus, your part of the family and not alone in this life.

Finally, when we walk with God we walk like Jesus walked. When we say “yes” to Jesus, we begin the transformation process and become more like him every day. When we choose this life, we bring a little bit of heaven to earth. After all, Paul said in Philippians 2:5, “You MUST have the same attitude of Jesus”. If you are a disciple, there is no choice…it’s what we do. No matter the chaos that might be going on around us: COVID, job loss, relational struggles, sickness, financial hardship…nothing can steal our joy because we have a life centered in Jesus. He changes everything for us!!

So, may you choose a better life. May you say “yes” to Jesus. It’s the best choice possible. Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life…” Jesus will give you the best life you’ve ever lived. Blessings on the journey.

No More Chains!

You and I live in a broken world. It ain’t right. The world around us is trying to drag us down with it by telling us that we are not enough, that we are losers, that we are not loved, that we really are worthless. And too many times we believe the world.

So many of us have been diagnosed with a situation that we’ll have the rest of our lives, like my wife, who is deathly allergic to fire ant bites. In 2017 while teaching her fifth grade kids a science lesson outside, she got bitten by fire ants and then taken to the ER because her throat was closing up. She now carries an epipen. She’s stuck with that allergy for life.

We are stuck with sin too. But Jesus is the one thing that can heal us, make us right, help us regain our sense of worth.

Like the story of the healed leper in Matthew 8:1-4, we are in need of Jesus. Leprosy is a horrific disease. I’ve seen it first hand while living in Africa. If you have the disease, you’ll loose your fingers and toes, then a nose maybe your ears. It is a slow way to die. And in Jewish culture, Jesus’ culture, a leper was outside culture and society. They were banished. A leper could not interact in society, with their family…they couldn’t even go to worship. They lived outside the city far from any normalcy.

Maybe you feel like that. You feel isolated and alone, banished from a life you thought you were promised. You are caught up in a life of addiction or adultery. You’ve hurt people your whole life and lied about others to get your way. You have not been loving to your spouse and continually play the blame game. You’re an absentee parent for your children. Satan whispers in your ear that you are pathetic and you believe him.

But Jesus is the remedy for what’s going on in your life!! He can set things right again. Your mess is NOT bigger than God’s miracle. Saying “yes” to Jesus means you’re willing to let go of the script the world has given you and embrace life with Jesus, letting him lead you in every aspect of your life.

Maybe you’re like the woman in Luke 13:10-13 who had been bent over double for eighteen years. Jesus sees her, calls her over, and transforms her life forever. His healing allows the sun on her face again and now she’s looking directly into the face of the Son of God.

You and I have a habit of hanging on to our burdens. Although we’ve been forgiven, we insist keeping them on our back…all those poor decisions we’ve made along the way, bending us over and weighing us down. Jesus has told us, “Come to me all of you who are tired and worn out and I’ll give you rest.” Jesus is calling you over because he wants to take your burden and remind you that you can once more stand up straight.

And know, it will not be perfect the day after you say “yes” to Jesus. Paul, one of the most profound Christians of all time, tells us that very idea in Philippians 3:12-14. “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.” Following Jesus is a process that sharpens over time and a life.

Wherever you find yourself, outside community or bend over with burden, know you have a Savor in Jesus who is waiting with open arms to welcome you home. He is our remedy. He has loved us, lifted us, forgiven us, healed us, shed light upon us…He’s there for you right now! Embrace Jesus and find life to be so much more! Blessings on your journey!

Have We Discovered a Remedy Yet?

If you’re like me, you’ve had your share of taking meds. Stomach issues, headaches, body aches…we’ve all had to find the remedy for what ails us. As we work through COVID, we know eventually our scientists and engineers will discover how to defeat this crazy virus. Until then, we have been task with social distancing, washing regularly, wearing face masks, taking appropriate meds, hydrating and getting rest. But we’ve also heard the statement, “Things will never be made right again.”

Even pre-COVID, you might have heard that about a spouse who stepped out on a marriage vow or a adult child who is talking about an absentee parent or a friend who needed someone to stand up for them but found they were alone. We’ve all been in difficult places and made some poor decisions where we realized after it all, things may not be the same.

When we talk about decisions we make that go against how God has called us to live, that’s called sin. And there are moments when we make poor choices we say “I’m not sure I can come back. Things are not going to be the same. I’m too far gone for God to love me.”

But God created a way for us to come back to him through his Son, Jesus Christ. And it’s not just a select few who need Jesus as the remedy for sin. We all need Jesus. Paul reminds us of that in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glorious standard.” The beauty is, God’s created a way for us to come home. Paul goes on to say in Romans 6:23, “The wages of sin is death but life can be had through Jesus, God’s Son.”

The story of Lazarus in John 11 reveals some things for us who are following the risen Savior. The abridged version of the story is that Jesus had a friend named Lazarus who died after he became very ill. Lazarus’ sisters sent for Jesus but he waited to go. After Lazarus died, Jesus went to the town and stood at the tomb where Lazarus had been buried four days earlier. Jesus was angry and he cried. I suppose he was angry for what sin does to us and our world. I’m imagining he cried do to the lack of faith those with him had in him. It’s an intriguing story so go read it right now.

But we learn a few things about sin in our lives and how Jesus is the remedy for that sin. No question: sin steals your life. When we get the flu, we are fatigued, sore, have respiratory issues…we just want to sit on the couch and binge Netflix. Sin takes away our desire for life. When we don’t let Jesus rule our life, we buy into the lies of Satan. Lies like “I’m an angry person and that’s just who I am” or “My family is dysfunctional so that’s all I know” or “My dad was an alcoholic so I didn’t have a chance” or “Porn doesn’t hurt my marriage”. These are the kinds of lies that we buy into which absolutely decimate our lives.

The biggest lie we listen to is the one that states, “I’m too far gone.” I’m just a bad person. God doesn’t want anything to do with me. I am beyond help and not redeemable. We tend to think our mess is bigger than God’s miracle. But we must believe God in Isaiah 1:18, “Though your sins are as scarlet, I will make them as white as snow…” Jesus is our remedy.

Ultimately, sin submits to Jesus. In John 11 after the stone at Lazarus’ tomb has been rolled away. Jesus looks intently into the darkness of the tomb and says, “Lazarus, come out”. The crowd that is holding their collective breath can suddenly hear feet shuffle in the darkness. Suddenly, emerging into the light of day is the once-dead Lazarus. Even death must obey the Son of God! He’s just that powerful!

Without Jesus, the remedy, in our lives, we don’t stand a chance against Satan and sin. With Jesus, we can conquer all things. Indeed, we can overcome anything. So say “yes” to Jesus and gain the ability to come out of the darkness, releasing the burden and weight of sin. Jesus has come to give you life and life to the full. Allow Jesus to give you that life by you saying “yes” to the King of kings and Lord of lords. Blessings on the journey.

Be Ready to Share your Life!

I’ve always thought following Jesus was a two-sided coin. On one hand, he’s got all the answers so it’s straight forward. His teaching is easy and light. On the other hand, he’s got all the answers and sometimes it’s tough. Jesus has some difficult things to digest if you are going to follow him. Like In Matthew 5 when he says, “…turn the other cheek…love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Really? Are you kidding me?

Right now in this very difficult time in our nation, we are discovering following Jesus really takes courage and resilience. We are called to love people no matter how they treat us. That’s easier to do when people are getting along. But right now with racial tension, conflict with authority, political nastiness, economic downturn, loss of employment AND COVID, we are are questioning Jesus design for life and asking “do I really?”

Jesus never abandoned truth but was equally full of grace and we are called to imitate him. We are called to live in such a way that our very life gives the reason for the hope we have in Jesus. We live in such a way that those who might be speaking ill of us will be embarrassed because we are actually living a life that lifts others up. We do our best to live at peace with everyone. Peter calls us to that kind of living in 1 Peter 3:15-16.

So how do we exemplify Jesus? Paul reminds us that when the Spirit lives within us, it yields a very different life than those who are in the world. Paul says in Galatians 5 that our lives will look like love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. So our goal should be to look like Jesus and extend all of these Godly qualities to those around us…even when it is not easy.

So, always shine for Jesus. Solomon said in Proverbs 11:30, “Seeds of good deeds become a tree of life.” And we want to be life to those we touch every day. For example, when you know your neighbor has had an illness, take over some food or mow the grass for them. When there have been ill words, be the first to offer an apology. When there is silence, speak up. When tears flow, show compassion and give a shoulder to cry on.

Paul reminds us in Colossians 4:5-6 to be an example for those who don’t believe in a risen Savior. Live in such a way that there is gentleness and kindness in your language and life. As followers of Christ, we want the world to take notice of why we live like we do so they too can have the hope we share.

As a follower, don’t be a tyrant. Over the years, I’ve seen so many hold truth in a self-righteous way, brow-beating everyone around them. It’s a fear-based religion that we’ve never been called to live out. So ask yourself these questions with honesty: How do you address folks on social media? How do you carry yourself in the workplace? What is your voice like with your family? How do you show compassion when you are in the right? Jesus was not tyrannical. He held truth in balance with love. And so should we.

Finally, never compromise. After his incredible letter to the church in Rome, Paul ends with how we are called to live life on earth in Romans 12. He calls us to not be conformed to the way the world does life but be transformed into Jesus. Verses 9-21 specifically spell out the kind of people we are called to be.

So love with the truth in mind…be like Jesus. The Jews have a saying: “May the dust of your rabbi settle upon you.” It means may you follow your teacher (that’s Jesus for us) so closely that the dust he kicks up as he walks settles on you. We are all on a wonderful journey. It’s our time to shine. This world needs the hope that only Jesus can offer. Let your life be the story the world can’t get enough of! Blessings on your journey.

This is Really All that Remains to Do.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

When you think about your faith journey, what do you think is most important?

The rules you follow?
How often you attend church?
The time of the day you read your Bible?
The number of mission trips you have been on?

What if I told you that all of those things meant nothing if they weren’t done in love?

When we read the Bible, it is clear from the first to last page that love is the theme of God’s work in the world. Everything He does is rooted and built up in love. It’s His character – He cannot change!

The very same is true of Jesus. Being one with the Father, Jesus’s life and ministry were marked with love and mercy. No matter who came across His path, Jesus showed love in ways that changed the world forever.

Paul, writing to those living in the city of Corinth, needed to remind the believers there of the importance of love marking their lives. A sense of self-righteousness was beginning to show up in those who claimed to be true believers of Jesus. Paul wanted to stop this pride and arrogance before it infected the church with evil.

If we claim to follow Jesus Christ, shouldn’t our lives be marked with the same love He lived with? God, in His wisdom, has placed us among those who need to know the love of God before they know the “rules and requirements” of being a “Christian”. Perhaps our understanding of being a Christian would change radically if we lived with love.

How will your actions change if you begin with love? Live with love, and watch your faith and hope begin to rise in strength and power!

So, think of the love that Jesus showed while He walked on earth to all those He encountered. What are the ways that you need to show love to those you encounter every day?

And Paul says that love is more important than hope and faith. What is it about love that makes it so important to understand and show? How can you show that love in your life today? Blessings on your journey!

So...To Whom Should I Show Compassion?

We all like to be pampered. I’ve seen your social media posts. There’s massages, pedis and manis…restaurant plates…well, you get it. We love ourselves. We love to be pampered too when we aren’t feeling well. Chicken noodle soup in bed, our favorite blanket and a Netflix series we have been wanting to binge watch.

It’s interesting though, when it’s someone else, we have our doubts. We just say “pull up your bootstraps and let’s go”. We aren’t too worried about most people like we worry about ourselves. I’m mean, even the Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 5:29, “No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it." Case in point…

So, there’s a lawyer who is interacting with Jesus in Luke 10 and he’s got an important question. He asks the Son of God, the Messiah, the Anointed One, “How do I inherit eternal life?’ That’s a fair question. I mean, we’d all like to know the answer. Tell me exactly what I need to do to get there. So both Jesus and the lawyer agreed that one should love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself.

But then the lawyer asks a question that reminds us that we are ultimately about ourselves when he asks, “Okay. But who is my neighbor?” He asks because he doesn’t want to spend anymore on anyone than he has to spend. He’s asking, “Where is the line? I only have so much compassion to give. Where does it end?”

So Jesus tells a story to answer a question, like he does so many times. The story is found in Luke 10 when Jesus tells the story of a man traveling who gets mugged by some shady characters and left for dead. Other people are on the road as well.

A priest comes along but passes by on the other side of the road. He keeps his distance. He doesn’t have time to be bothered with this inconvenience. Jesus is saying that’s one way to interact with the world…just keep your distance.

Then a Temple servant comes along who notices the man. He goes over to take a look but eventually passes by as well. You have seen this in church folks as well. I can be intrigued but uninvolved. Folks, religion doesn’t make us loving. Jesus makes us loving. We can be so “righteous” yet unloving toward those around us. Jesus says that’s another way we could interact.

But then a Samaritan comes by who happens to be the enemy of the man lying in the ditch. He stops to mend, bandage, support, and use his own resources to help this man. Jesus says that we can also care for those around us. Jesus says this one, the one that stopped to help, is the closest to God of all.

So from this story, we learn what we can do to love our neighbor. How do I love my neighbor?

You and I must see the need to sympathize. In verse 33 it says, “when he saw the man’s condition, his heart went out.” The Samaritan looked beyond the labels and saw him. Sympathy is seeing people from God’s point of view. And you know, we have hurting people all around us. The homeless person just needing to be noticed; the single parent weeping in the common area; a tearful spouse wondering if her marriage is over; a bewildered student on a college campus weighing if there is more to life; a silenced person of color; a defiant teenager who’s home life is less than helpful.

So many people around you need to see the love of God from you. They need to know someone cares and sees them. So you and I need to slow down to empathize with those around us. The Samaritan’s heart was filled with compassion. We need to slow down, create margin in our lives and calendars in order to serve and listen. Johnny Cash’s song, “Walk a Mile” says it all.

Finally, we need to take the love God’s offered us and put it in action. See, love is something you do. The Samaritan physically takes care of the man who is hurt. Following Jesus is not easy. You and I are called to give some things up on the way in order to help other people. See, God has called us to be salt and light; to bring some flavor to our world…to shine light into the dark areas.

So it’s time to lay down that cold shoulder; it’s important to free up some time to serve those around you; It’s time to have a conversation with someone you’ve been avoiding; it’s time to reconcile with someone from who you’ve been withholding love. Our call as Jesus’ disciples is to love unconditionally…not judgmentally nor presuming the worst. Jesus says in John 13, “Love one another as I have loved you”. How did he love you? He gave his life for you. Love in such a way that people see Jesus’ love in you. Blessings on your journey.

What's Love Got to Do with it?

This world has gotten cranky. I mean, every little thing offends us. Sports team mascots, the type of car you drive, people not reciprocating a wave, your political party, your skin color, your church…well the list goes on. We act out when people don’t think like us or live like us and we copy Taylor Swift in singing, “Look what you made me do.” We fail to take ownership of our language, demeanor and actions. We’ve gotten good at the blame-game.

But Jesus calls his followers to a different type of living. In Matthew 5, he says we should be salt and light in the world. In Matthew 25, he reminds us that how we treat others is how we are treating him. And in Mark 12, he sums up our Jesus-Following life into two phrases, “Love God. Love People”. It’s just that simple.

We discover that God’s love is counter-cultural. Look around our nation right now. This country is screaming bigotry and violence on every corner. We are withholding compassion because we are not getting our way. We are in-sighting riots and chaos because we feel slighted that other people don’t think like we do. We are literally burning down our country because we didn’t get our way.

But Jesus through the Gospels is doing things no other rabbi is doing in his culture. He’s touching the leper, the blind, the sick. He’s talking to Roman army officers and healing their people. He’s walking into Gentile homes. He’s standing up for the adulterous woman. He’s interacting with a Samaritan woman at a well. He’s inviting a tax collector into his inner circle then going to a dinner party at his home afterwards. Jesus is counter-cultural. We are called to mirror him in our cultural as well. Be salt. Be light. Be Jesus in our current culture.

God’s love is also selfless. Paul reminds us of what Jesus did for us in Ephesians 5:25-27. Paul says to have the kind of love Jesus did for his church. Jesus died…gave his life…for each of us. And we should be that selfless as we interact with our world. Think of others before yourself.

In John 13, Jesus is in the upper room at the last supper with his disciples. Their feet are nasty, dirty, muddy, full of toe jam. Yet the Son of God gets down on his knees with a towel and a basin of water and washes their feet. He even tenderly washes the feet of Judas, who he knows will betray him in a matter of hours. Jesus is selfless and we are called to mirror him in our own lives.

Finally, God’s love is relational. We must break down the stereotypical walls in our cultural and build relationship with those around us…especially with those who don’t look like us. Jesus says in that upper room, “A new covenant or command I give you. Love one another like I have loved you. As I have loved you, love each other.”

Jesus came to give not get. Our country right now is all about getting but that’s not the life we are called to live in Jesus. Jesus says in Mark 10 that he came to serve others, not to be served. He goes on to say those who want to be first must end up being last and slave of all. If you serve like Jesus, people will follow you anywhere. See, our life in him is about showing love NO MATTER the color of skin, culture, background, life choice, denomination, political party, the size of your bank account. It’s an unconditional love!

So that’s the challenge this week. Love like Jesus. Be the servant of all. Put other people’s needs in front of your own. Bring flavor to the world around you. Shine your light into the darkness. What’s love got to do with it? It appears everything! Blessings on your journey.

You Can Do This (with God in your life).

I was in the Air Force Air Guard from 1989-1996. Our unit was activated for Desert Storm. I loved putting on the uniform and serving my country. But one of the beauties of serving in guard or reserve units is you get the best of both worlds. You serve in the military but you also have a civilian life.

Living for God and living by His wisdom is kind of like that. If you follow Jesus, you live in this world while pursuing the spiritual one as well. You live in the physical world while seeing everything through spiritual eyes. When you don’t have Christ in your life, you only see the physical world.

We all want smarts: the ability to live well, and live for something much bigger than we are. We need real wisdom to do that. Jesus says in Matthew 6, “Prioritize the Kingdom of God in your life, live like Jesus, and God will give you everything else you need.” God will give you wisdom, the smarts, if you simply ask him for it according to James. So, it’s time we prioritize Kingdom. But how do we do that?

First, ask God into your everyday experience. I’m not talking about planning for tomorrow. I mean inviting God into your today…those everyday small decision you and I make. Paul even says, “[everyday], think about heavenly things not the things of this earth” (Colossians 3:2).

Students will be made fun of for following Jesus on campus. We are going to help people and love on people despite COVID-19. We are going to pray for our difficult marriage even though our friends think we are crazy. Some of us will give up promotions at work in order to be home more with our kids. The list goes on of how we invite God into our everyday occurrences. People will look at you as if you’re crazy and that’s okay. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 1:27, “God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise.”

Secondly, we going to involve God in our planning for tomorrow. When we recognize how larger than life our God truly is, the natural thing to do is bow in submission. We give him priority in our life. One way we honor God and show him respect is by involving him in our plans for tomorrow.

We have calendars and make plans but we know they never supersede the sovereignty of God. As we plan, we make sure the idea is “if it is the Lord’s will”. Who should I marry? Should I get married? Should I take this promotion? Do I need to move? Should I continue this relationship? Where should I work? While we make definite plans to answer all these questions, God should be included in each one. It is vital to having wisdom for our futures.

Finally, invest in eternity. By including God in all your daily and future decision-making, you are acknowledging there is a God and you are not him. See, this world is not our home. We are just passing through. Our treasure is not located here but in heaven. So have the wisdom that only God can provide. Set as the most important thing in your life the Kingdom of God. That is, his will and desire. Live that out every day and every tomorrow. Then, God will grant you everything else you need in life.

May the Spirit guide you as you discern direction. May you discover how God has called you to live. May you be empowered to include God in your life every single day. Blessings on your journey.