Kingdom Building
OPENING PRAYER:
Dear Lord, please help me to let go of my personal desires whenever they conflict with opportunities to serve you. Help me to focus on building your kingdom, and to feel the joy that comes from working for you.
“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 9:35-38 (NIV)
REFLECT:
I like to think of myself as more selfless than average, and maybe if the data was collected that would be true. Whether I’m particularly selfless or not, I know it’s true that when I prioritize my life, kingdom building is rarely on, or near the top of, my to do list. I would love in this devotional to tell you a fun story about how at one time I never shared my faith, and now I’m a super-spreader, but that’s just not my story. I am faithful in many ways, but literally taking steps to kingdom build is not one of them. So, for lack of an illustrative story, let’s take a brief moment to remember why kingdom building should be a priority, however it is we can make that true for ourselves.
All of us deserve death and eternal separation from God. None of us are good enough to get into Heaven by our merits. Through God’s grace, he chose to send his son to live in our world where he, a sinless person, died the death we all deserve to create a way for each of us to get to God. The gift of Jesus’ death is freely available to every person on the face of the earth. All we have to do to receive eternal life is to accept Jesus’ sacrificial death as payment for our sins. That’s it. Nothing more nothing less.
APPLY:
If you want to help build the kingdom of God here on earth but don’t know where to begin, remember that no step is too small. If you don’t know where to begin, pray about it. Prayer is always right. Pray for God to show you how to serve. Pray for God to equip you to serve. Pray for God to help you hear him. Pray.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Thank you Jesus for creating a path for us to get to Heaven and spend eternity with you. Thank you for being the perfect example of us to follow. We love you!
WORSHIP: