Rejecting God’s Kingdom for My Own

A 5 year old boy was walking through the store the other day, he had a Panthers baseball hat on and had a handful of Power Rangers toys and his Mom was pushing a buggy full of many other toys too numerous to count, and it was just a spectacle to me. You see if you read my last blog or have read it, I’m not talking about you or you or you, I was writing to myself. Kind of like writing a letter to yourself because you know this is important and you are most likely to forget it. So the Lord is really dealing with me, like life changeably so.

So I saw the kid with the buggy and thought that is exactly how I am. I want all kind of things and store them up as if they make me happy. I buy something I want because I have the money to. Hey it’s my choice isn’t it. I pay my tithes, I give to others when it’s convenient, I serve in the church. But the more stuff that I buy the more I feel like I can’t control it. The more I obey the impulses of my body the more impulses I have. It’s like it’s taking over me. It is spiritual.

So I have realized that I need sacrifice. Sacrifice….. its a big and meaningful word, but I don’t know what it means. I don’t sacrifice S#@*! And the more I realize this is the kind of life God wants me to lead the more it becomes fathomable and I start to feel the blessedness of it. And then, I step outside my door or turn on my TV and every thing is so contradictory. Our culture says that you need to have the best clothes and have nice things. Our culture says that you deserve it, your earned it. The world says to store up all your goods, have a big house and car, make sure to be looking forward to retirement. How are your stocks? Where are you going on vacation? What kind of work do you do?

The early church had all things in common. I don’t know if you have noticed it but in other cultures there is not such a sense of personal possession as in America. We want our things and we end up by ourselves in a big house going crazy. We need Christian community, and when we take it seriously and learn to love those around us you can bet that God will ask you to sacrifice.

I want the kingdom of God to come into my life and as long as the World is in my life the Kingdom is not going to come. So God, I am turning from the World and asking your Kingdom to come. PS Lord: remind me of this tomorrow because I am likely to forget.