The Kingdom Economy: These Last Days (7)
So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom…
Let Your work appear to Your servants,
And Your glory to their children.
And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands. Psalm 90.12, 16, 17
Planning in the Kingdom economy
Americans spend a good deal of time—probably more than we realize—planning to succeed in our materialistic economy.
Think of all the hours we spend in education and training, just to find the right niche for a lifetime of getting and spending. Or how diligent we can be in planning our retirement and other aspects of a secure financial future. And let us not forget to mention the plans we make at work, for improving our homes, going on vacations, and for making the best use of our resources. Clearly, planning to succeed in the American economy is a constant, ongoing part of what every American must do.
But I wonder if we spend as much time planning for success in the Kingdom economy? The secrets of the Kingdom of God are revealed and known in this new order of the ages. Should we not be even more diligent in planning to obtain and enjoy these?
My experience tells me that we are not. Instead, what far too many Christians do is squeeze everything that relates to the Kingdomeconomy into an assigned niche in their plans for success in the materialistic economy.
And then we wonder why our lives in Christ are no more exhilarating, power-filled, and fruitful than they are. This is not what Paul means by making the most of the time God has entrusted to us (Eph. 5.15-17).
Planning and review
If we’re going to find our way around and make progress in the Kingdom economy, so that we maximize our contribution to the work of making disciples, building the Church, and advancing the Kingdom, we must improve the way we use the time entrusted to us. It will help us in this regard if we adopt a perpetual process of planning and review related to everything in our lives. If we’re not willing to do this, or if we make our plans in anything less than a God-honoring, Kingdom-seeking way, then our Christian life will suffer, and along with that, our witness for the Lord as well.
Moses prayed that God would teach him to number his days. He intended to budget his time, as it were, so that he might make the most of it for the purpose for which God had called him. God has called us to His Kingdom and glory. This must be our defining priority, so that we number our days to maximize our efforts at realizing more of our great salvation and God’s glorious Kingdom.
So how do we do this? How do we make our way in the Kingdom economy and plan for success in that glorious and everywhere-present realm?
Moving forward
Of course, we must humbly admit that we do not know the future, but that the Lord does (Jms. 4.14; Prov. 27.1). Therefore, we need to be careful that we’re not merely relying on what we want or we think is best for our plans and future. Let us come humbly before the Lord, seeking His wisdom, and ask Him to help us “number” our days, as our text indicates, so that we can make the best use of the time He entrusts to us in these last days.
At the same time, we must accept that, puny though they may seem to us, our lives matter to God and are significant for His eternal plan. So we must be diligent, day by day, in pleading with Him to show us the work we’ve been given to do. The work we’ve been given to do in advancing the Kingdom economy is greater than the job at which we work. We want to glorify God in all our work; thus, we need to be clear about what that work is, and how we may best serve the Kingdom purposes of God in it.
The more we study the different aspects of the Kingdom economy, the more we will be able to plan our activities to realize those divinely-appointed priorities. We can make the most of every opportunity we have each day for advancing God’s realm and rule on earth as it is in heaven if we will commit all our time and all our work to seeking His Kingdom and glory (Eph. 5.15-17).
In all our daily work
We all engage people throughout the course of the day. Do we have a Kingdom plan for reaching out to each one of them? For ministering God’s grace to them?
We all have gifts from God’s Spirit which we are to use in building-up our fellow church members (1 Cor. 12.7-11). Have we begun to discover and exercise those gifts?
And we all work and live in a variety of arenas—home, neighborhood, work, and so forth—where we can bring beauty, goodness, and truth, and righteousness, peace, and joy into the lives of others. Are we planning and preparing for this? Seeking the Lord diligently to establish the work of our hands for the sake of His Kingdom?
If we can make all these opportunities the constant focus of our study, prayer, and growth, we’ll make better plans and do better work within the divine economy.
Making our way in the Kingdom economy in these last days is not rocket science; it is, however, hard work. And it requires a continuous focus on the Lord’s priorities and will, together with constant reliance on His Word and Spirit, if we’re going to be wise in knowing where we fit and what we can contribute to the glorious Kingdom economy. That economy is emerging and unfolding all around us, and God intends to flow its living water through us to our world.
For reflection
1. Do you agree that people who are focused on the free-market economy as their defining frame of reference do a lot of planning? How do you intermingle with this planning for the Kingdom economy?
2. Should we who are focused on the divine economy vigorously work at planning how we will use our time? Would a change of priorities help in this effort? Explain.
3. How might we plan more effectively to position ourselves within the unfolding, overflowing, and advancing divine economy? And if we refuse to do this?
Next steps—Preparation: Review your process of weekly planning. How can you fit more of the priorities of the Kingdom economy into the time and days God has prepared for you?
T. M. Moore
Give thanks
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
It’s in all the small stuff we do each day that the Kingdom comes on earth as it is in heaven. Our book, Small Stuff, can help you in your daily work of seeking the Kingdom and righteousness of God. Order your copy in book form by clicking here or as a free PDF by clicking here.
Other columns of interest this week: This week in our Read Moore we begin selections from our book, Understanding the Times. This book will be a valuable companion to our study of “The Kingdom Economy.” In our Crosfigell column we’re following Brendan, a 6th century Irish saint, as he pursues the Kingdom economy in his extraordinary adventures. Our daily Scriptoriumcolumn takes up the Gospel of John this week in our continuing series, “Jesus throughout the Scriptures.”
Thank you.
Many of you are faithful and generous in praying for and supporting ReVision and The Fellowship of Ailbe. Thank you. I encourage all our readers to seek the Lord about becoming a supporter of The Fellowship of Ailbe. It’s easy to give to The Fellowship of Ailbe, and all gifts are, of course, tax-deductible. You can click here to donate online through credit card or PayPal or Anedot, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
