If you have been around me lately you’ve noticed that I’ve been thinking and talking a lot about the kingdom of God. We don’t hear a lot about kingdoms these days because we don’t have a lot of kings who actually run anything anymore, especially nations. In North America, we like the concept of democracy where everybody gets to have a say about all things while the notion of one person making decisions for everyone seems outrageous. Don’t get me wrong – I am thankful for the benefits and freedoms that I have living in a country that places value on the individual and offers unlimited opportunities to pursue personal dreams and ambitions. But this system of rule by the people for the people makes it difficult for us to fully understand and embrace the concepts and ways of a kingdom.

This becomes a problem as a follower of Jesus because I am called to live like a kingdom person above all else. I am a citizen of the kingdom of God. Jesus spent much of his time teaching about the kingdom and how important it was to enter it, see it and help it grow. He taught that the very first thing I should do in all things is to seek the kingdom, that the kingdom holds good news for all to hear, that the kingdom is forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it, that the poor in spirit and the persecuted are candidates for the kingdom, that the greatest in the kingdom often look like the least, that you can’t enter or even understand the basics of the kingdom without spiritual rebirth and that all of creation is preparing for the invisible kingdom now present in the hearts of true believers to become visible for all eternity. And those are just some of the kingdom concepts that are important for me to live out in order to grow as a kingdom person. Talk about a kingdom-sized challenge!

Yes, there’s a lot to learn about the kingdom. But rather than viewing that as being too overwhelming to wrap my head around, I am becoming more excited about exploring what all of this means for my present and my future life. As I go deeper into this I realize that my life can be all that it is designed to be only by developing a greater appetite for kingdom living. I am discovering that whatever I do is not ultimately about me or anyone or anything else – it is about being a kingdom-first person with a kingdom-sized heart. After all is said and done, that’s the only thing that really matters and lasts.

So, what are you doing with your life these days? What’s got your attention? Are you ready to experience life to the full as God intends for you? Why not join me in following the king of the kingdom, Jesus Christ and see how that focus transforms the rest of your life? How big do I want my heart and yours to become for Jesus? I hope they become kingdom-sized so that we don’t miss anything that God is doing in our community and around the world!