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Articles
What Does the Kingdom of Heaven Mean To You?
In John 18:36, Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” If you are a saved child of God, then you are part of His kingdom! That means you are under His rule. As great as America is, we belong to a kingdom far greater than the United States of America! So do we live like it? When it comes down to it, what does the Kingdom of Heaven really mean to you?
The Kingdom of Heaven must be your only priority. “Priority” is an interesting word. Only about one hundred years ago did people make-up the plural form of the word, “priorities.” By definition, “priorities” is a nonsense word! A thing either is your priority or it is not. You might have a list of important things, but only one thing can be your priority. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus definitively states that His Kingdom must be your priority.
The Kingdom of Heaven is compared to a wedding feast in Matthew 22. When the dinner was finally prepared and the king sent out servants to bring those who were invited into the feast, they refused the invitation. Well, the king had this great feast all prepared, so he tells his servants to just invite anybody and everybody who wants to come. Pretty soon the banquet hall is filled. However, when the king arrives he sees a man not dressed in proper wedding clothes. He tells his servants to cast this man out of the banquet hall.
The King has certain expectations for those in His kingdom. Everyone is invited, but once you accept the invitation then you have agreed to His standards. Adhering to the expectations of the King is a demonstration of your respect for Him and His kingdom. When the Kingdom is your only priority, then you will act accordingly. After all, first means first!
Americans pride ourselves on our democratic process. We are fortunate to have the ability to vote for our leaders. While God is King of kings (and nothing can or will ever change that), in a sense, you get to vote for your king every day. Every day, you get the choice to elect God as the King of your life and to serve Him, or to serve yourself instead. As you navigate your daily life, make sure your actions reflect your commitment to the King and His Kingdom.
