Kingdom Values (2)
… as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. 1 Thessalonians 2.11, 12
The calling that integrates
At times, life can seem like a gaggle of competing callings—obligations, responsibilities, relationships, roles, things to do, and people to respond to, which pulls us in different directions, all at the same time. This is as true for us who live in the Kingdom economy as for anyone else.
We like to think that we’re in control of our lives, and that these competing callings all come together to fulfill some single purpose. The problem is that, other than trying to enjoy life as much as possible, many of us have never found that one, overarching calling that integrates and makes sense of all the rest of our daily callings. We’re like the guy at the circus who spins plates on the end of poles, trying to see how many we can keep going before they start to fall and asking ourselves, “Are we having fun yet?” We’re staying busy, trying to keep our customers satisfied, just doing what we can. No sense of “calling” motivates us, except, of course, the calling to get the most out of life while we can.
One of the great privileges of those who live in the Kingdom economy is to know that God Himself has issued us a high and holy calling, a calling that enables us to make sense of all the details of our lives, and to pursue them not merely for the sake of keeping them going, but for realizing the calling God issues to us, every day anew.
God calls us to His Kingdom and glory. If there is a motto for the Kingdom economy, this is it: “For God’s Kingdom and glory.” He invites us to bring all the various callings, duties, and responsibilities of our lives—marriage, family, work, church, diversions, cultural and political life—under the cope of His sovereign, wise, good, and loving rule. He promises that He will fill us and all our various callings with abundant life in Jesus Christ, not just as some niche or sector of our lives, but for every moment, all our relationships, roles, and responsibilities, and all our fondest hopes and dreams.
Called to the Kingdom and glory of God, Christians can live every moment in a Presence not of this world, by a power beyond all human strength, in pure spiritual pleasure and joy, and for a purpose that can never fail.
We need to make sure we understand and value this calling, so that it works in our soul to help us realize the promise of righteousness, peace, and joy God holds out for us.
Called to the Kingdom
God calls us to His Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is that realm of spiritual power, ruled by our Lord Jesus Christ, where righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit flourish and abound (Rom. 14.17, 18). The Kingdom, Jesus said, is within us, in our souls and pervading our entire lives. At the same time, we are citizens and ambassadors of the Kingdom, which is an external spiritual reality coming into being on earth in the same way that it exists in heaven. And, as we might expect, we organize, conduct, and manage our lives—we practice an economy—appropriate to this new realm.
The Kingdom is within us, and we are called to seek it by understanding the nature of the Kingdom, desiring it in ways consistent with Jesus’ teaching, and valuing it for all aspects of our lives, and not merely for a few hours here and there. When we understand and experience the Kingdom as Jesus intends, we realize the meaning of those all-pervading images—salt, light, and leaven—that Jesus used to teach us how to think about our lives.
The many different callings that make up our everyday lives all take on brightness, flavor, and rich transforming power as we bring them daily to the Lord and seek His Kingdom in and through them. Having been called to the Kingdom of God, we seek that Kingdom and value it as the defining priority and value of our lives.
Called to glory
God calls us to His glory. The glory of God is the Presence of God, expressed by holy spiritual power in ways that make it clear a force for truth, love, goodness, wisdom, kindness, order, and righteousness is at work here. Even the smallest details of our lives can refract the glory of God, so that we experience and express God’s Presence and others see a hope and a reality in us which they do not typically know (1 Cor. 10.31; 1 Pet. 3.15). God calls us to seek His Presence and to live in His Presence (Ps. 27.1-8), so that the Presence of God Himself grows in us, flows through us, transforms us into the very image of Jesus Christ, and makes all things new in every aspect of our lives (2 Cor. 3.12-18; Rev. 21.5).
God intends for us to participate in Him (2 Pet. 1.4), to know Him in His glory, and to have that glory transform all the callings of our lives so that we are continually pointing away from ourselves to Him.
God calls us to His Kingdom—where righteousness, peace, and joy are the hallmarks—and His glory—where the radiance of Jesus glows through every aspect of our lives. The more we understand and value this high, holy, heavenly, and integrating calling, the more all our lives will realize the power, pleasure, and purpose God intends. And the more His Kingdom economy will unfold from us and around us.
What a glorious privilege and exciting adventure! The God of heaven and earth, Lord of nations, Ruler of all creation, Redeemer, Savior, and King—this God is calling us, calling us to enter, seek, and advance His Kingdom and glory, and to be transformed in every aspect of our lives for His service and praise.
When this calling settles in our conscience, when we value it as God intends, it will guide how we think and feel about everything else. All of life and all its many callings become arenas for knowing, enjoying, and serving God, platforms and venues for showing and declaring Him, and opportunities to grow in and refract the God of light and life to the sin-dark world.
For reflection
1. What is the Kingdom of God? What is the glory of God? Do you think it’s important for Christians to understand these? Explain.
2. What does it mean to be called to the Kingdom and glory of God continuously?
3. What can keep or hinder you from hearing God’s continuous calling on your life? What can you do to remain more open and mindful of His calling?
Next steps—Preparation: Suggest some ways to stay mindful of God’s calling throughout the day. How can Christians help one another in this matter?
T. M. Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest: This week: Our Read Moore podcast begins working through Joy to Your World!, a call to enjoy and proclaim the Good News of Jesus. In our Scriptorium series, we turn daily to Ephesians 6. And our Crosfigell teaching letter is perusing a brief series on the early 6th-century Irish saint, Coemgen. Check out our other excellent writers. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
