Thy Kingdom Come, My Kingdom Go!

What does that mean, Thy Kingdom Come? It seems reasonable to consider that the Lord’s work, plans, actions and desires all constitute His Kingdom.

So, is actuating His Kingdom my job, or is it His job? Hmmmm. No brainer. I could never aspire to actuate anything on the level that the One and Only Holy Lord could.

At the same time, He created us humans and gave us dominion over this earth. So clearly I fit into this picture somehow. I wonder… is my job to make His Kingdom happen, or let His Kingdom happen?

Thy Kingdom Come…. The flip side of that would be ‘my kingdom go’, wouldn’t it?

Lord, what exactly is MY kingdom? What do I do that puts barriers in the way of Your Kingdom being manifested in me and through me?

I’ve been praying about that for some time now, and a few things keep coming to mind, over and over.

Barrier: MY plans and MY schedule. I set up MY to-do list and then arrange and manipulate things through the day to make sure it gets done.

Solution: About a year ago I changed the conclusion of my prayer time. Every morning I finish my prayer time by going over my To-Ask list with You. Maybe all those things I think are so urgent really aren’t. And maybe You don’t have everything in place to get them done or meet the needs in Your way just yet.

Barrier: Tasks. Yes, I’m task oriented. I know that. It feels good to get something completed, done right, and finished. But that love chapter in 1 Corinthians Ch. 3 says all the gifts of the Lord are worthless unless they are done with love. (Check out BibleGateway.com to read the chapter.)

Solution: When I do something for or with someone, the real goal must be the person, not the task. It’s about fellowship, not achievement.

Hmmm. What about when I’m feeling overloaded, and I start yammering to everyone around how busy I am, how my very important tasks are taking over my life, how hard done by I am…. Is that conducive to anyone feeling they could ask me for help? Or just ask of my time to hang out, be together, to encourage each other? I don’t think so!

I guess self-pity doesn’t fit into Thy Kingdom Come either.

Barrier: Manipulation of events. In scripture the Lord causes or allows things to happen that ultimately serve His purpose. The stories of Joseph (Genesis Chapters 37 – 45) are a prime example. My response, though, when something seems to be going sideways is to bemoan it and work hard to get back on what I believe is the correct path. But maybe the reality is that the Lord is shifting me off the wrong path at that given moment to achieve or put into play something that will glorify Him and His Kingdom.

Solution: Rest in the glitches. When something interferes with my schedule, or what I perceive to be the correct series of events, I need to run with it rather than panic and try to bring things back to the status quo. The story of the Good Samaritan comes to mind on this one. Two passers-by, both of whom should have been open to helping someone in need, carried on because their important tasks clearly took precedence. But the third, the Samaritan, put the fellow’s needs before his scheduled plans.

Luke 10 The Parable of the Good Samaritan
25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.]"
28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
30In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."