Kingdom of God

First Things First

Dr. Mike 2023 , , , , ,

Matthew 6:33

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Put first things first is a tagline and principle I initially read about over thirty years ago where the author Mr. Stephen Covey discussed the habits of highly successful people. Prior to Mr. Covey’s book, C.S. Lewis also wrote about always prioritizing the first thing first. He added that when the second thing becomes the first thing in one’s life, one will lose out on both. However, when the first thing is pursued over the second thing, the second thing comes along in the process.

This same principle Jesus spoke to HIS audience some two thousand years earlier but added the main thing. After discussing the human aspects people pursue in this physical world, and the anxiety and stress one subjects themselves from the process, HIS sermon on the mount (Matt. 5–7) emphasized the primary first objective needs to be accepting God’s authority and value system in our lives.

When we come to realize God’s Kingdom is HIS way of governing people (also the spiritual realm) to live in harmony, and HIS moral character is the compass which provides boundaries to safeguard lives, plus HIS attributes highlight the priceless values to attain an abundant life, when followed as the first objective in one’s life, leads to a flourishing and fulfilling life for oneself and others. Outside of God’s Kingdom, people may steal their way to a better life at the expense of all others, but God’s selfless way allows everyone who participates to float toward the top.  

Life is a learning process preparing you and I for eternity. We gain a taste of HIS ways when we put into practice HIS governing principles being led by HIS Spirit under the tutelage of Jesus Christ. When we understand how HIS Kingdom operates and follow HIS examples of human relations and doing good work, plus focus our worship on HIM, we begin to reflect HIS ways which leads to a life of governing the self through the Spirit, serving others in Christ’s name, and producing Kingdom results in your corner of the world.

When one captures the vision of God’s Kingdom, begins to implement HIS ways of governing the self and others, and reflects Christ’s character in all matters, one is pleasantly surprised by how all the other secondary things fall into place. Put first things first and the rest will be added to you.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager, Faith-Integrator, Scribbler Learn & Grow:  

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Kingdom Living

Dr. Mike 2022 , , ,

Romans 14:17

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Back in graduate school, I was challenged by our professor to find the means to motivate and create a winning culture within an organization. He spent 13 weeks discussing various concepts and theories of organizational leadership then currently being exercised within the workplace. His conclusion on the last week of class was none of them effectively work and laid out the challenge for those of us willing to accept to find out what does work. I accepted the challenge right then and there.

So, over the next thirty years, with six different corporate operations, I made business my ministry and began the journey of how best to implement God’s ways in the marketplace. I wasn’t perfect. I made mistakes. But I leaned on Christ and learned.

The conclusion of the matter: ownership always loved the results, but the majority of company leaders disapproved of bringing godliness into the workplace. Their response in many cases was “what does God have to do with business?”

The fact is – everything. One college study demonstrated that almost 50% of the profitability of an organization is the result of its culture. God’s ways when properly implemented produces the fruit of successful Kingdom living. The byproduct is both personal and communal freedom, flourishment, and fulfillment.

Personal freedom is found only in Jesus Christ. When one begins to recognize the foundation of identity comes from being made in God’s image, and when we reflect HIS glory, we are able to separate the temporary roles of life from the permanency of belonging as a child of HIS. Parenthood, Spouse, Executive, Electrician, Computer Programmer, Consultant, Teacher, etc. are simply roles we fulfill. They are not who we are but what we do. We are children of the Creator God who longs for a human family.  When we accept the fact we are included in Christ, then we begin to experience our true identity. We participate with HIM in daily work, knowing we are in union with HIM and are in fellowship with others who likewise belong to God. 

The result is practicing the means of flourishment which comes from strategically serving others. Jesus taught servant-leadership. Taught those who want to be great must prioritize serving others before themselves. His way is of mutual submissiveness with each other. An attitude of respecting and lifting up others. Throughout Scriptures, HIS teachings emphasize relationships and good work from a Godly mind/heart centered perspective.  

As one walks with the Lord, one grows in spiritual maturity and may accumulate physical wealth in the process. You know you are wealthy when you have more than you need to sustain one’s life. The amount isn’t necessary how one measures wealth, but how one uses the resources at their disposal. You may be financially wealthy, but bankrupt spiritually. For true Fulfillment comes by blessing others from your storage house. And hopefully your storage house includes a substantial amount of love, joy, and peace which comes from God’s Spirit living in you. After you had a taste of God’s character, and realize the more you share HIM with others, the more HE gives you, and the more you continual give others, the richer you become in finding fulfillment in the everyday routine of living life. Jesus stated that it is more blessed to give than receive. That is where real fulfillment comes from.

Yes, after you learn to live as an Ambassador of God’s Kingdom in a dark, secular world, and begin to show the love of God before you speak about HIS love, the more your actions and words will carry with those you live with, work with, and play with. And as God showers HIS grace upon you, and opens favorable doors for you, and directs your steps toward living out your micro purpose within HIS macro plans, HIS Kingdom becomes more real within the culture of your world. And like a little mustard seed, your world will grow through the influence of HIS Spirit within you and HIS Kingdom will be recognized by the people around you.

Living life within HIS Kingdom begins with Jesus as the central core of everything you do. He will lead you as you submit to HIM. He will open the doors for you and bring people into your world that you will enrich and they you. God’s Kingdom is what the world needs. One day our entire world will be encompassed by the ways of HIS Kingdom. Until then, we have the honor and privilege to live out HIS ways as we colonize the small pockets of humanity which we currently share space with on this third rock from the sun.   

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Author of e-Books 

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Learn. Live. Invest.

Dr. Mike 2022 , , ,

Proverbs 1:5

Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,

Romans 8:5

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

Matthew 6:33

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

What three activities could you make happen today and everyday that will propel you toward a life worth living? How about learning something new today? What about living with the Spirit today? And why not make a greater investment into God’s Kingdom today?

Since life is a learning process preparing you and I for eternity, what new idea or thought or word could we focus on today that will take us slightly outside our comfort zone, make us feel vulnerable, but afterward expand our awareness and confidence from the experience?

This morning for example, prior to my writing, I searched the concordance for multiple scriptures on learning, living, and investing, along with sub-categories which led me to a few other scriptures which I wrote down to investigate further after completing this page. I selected the above Scriptures as my focus, but there were many others I could have used with a slightly different perspective. Those are for another time and place.

Learning is a process built upon experience, knowledge, and insight. It is never ending unless one chooses to stop. Isn’t it interesting why those who are quite successful still make ample time to read?

Learning something new adds variety in one’s life, expands one’s knowledge and perspective of life and God, plus enriches one’s tank to better serve others when a situation arises. You have a good solution to the problem. Learning prepares you for better service.

If you are reading this, then I can assume you are still living. I jest, but how many people do you know are still breathing but the Spirit of love and joy are found nowhere in the room? In fact, they wouldn’t recognize the Holy Spirit’s characteristics unless they stop focusing on themselves for a moment.

When you read about the saints through the pages of the Bible, you begin to identify them as being persecuted yet with such joy and purpose for living that your head tilts in understanding how that can be. Then when you dig further and begin to understand the work of the Holy Spirit to sanctify us, you slowly come to learn by walking with HIM you begin to experience life the way God invented life to be lived.

After a small taste of Kingdom living, you can’t have enough and want more. But how? You learn to submit to Christ’s authority in your life and HE bestows the power of the Spirit which invades your inner being to replace the hardness of your heart with the gracefulness of HIS divine attributes. You are slowly being formed into HIS image of Godly Character.

As you become more involved with developing a relationship with your eternal partner, your heart and mind becomes more occupied with HIS domain and HIS macro purpose. You begin to align your micro purpose with HIS macro design and establish more order and boundaries into your life. You find yourself investing more of your time, money, and resources to expand HIS domain in your little corner of the world.

The daily work may seem routine and ordinary from an outside observer, but for you the real meaning of life becomes your foundation for investment. From here, you invest in HIS kingdom, HIS work, and HIS ways. Your family, career, and community involvement are the means and opportunity for you to invest yourself as a representative of Jesus Christ’s government. You now become a witness of God’s transforming power to enable others find fulfillment, freedom, and flourishment the way God intended people to experience.

You realize the investment God has in you and your aim is to return HIS investment to HIM manifold more times than humanly possible. You are grateful for the opportunity and appreciative of the challenge. Your only hope and prayer is God provides you the necessary resources to make it so and you don’t fail him in the process.

So, if you want a simple life with great returns, why not focus one’s time, money, and resources to learn, live, and invest with the ONE who makes everything possible – our Incarnate Triune God.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Author of e-Books

 *  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

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