Kingdom Currency (5)
“But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.” Luke 6.35
Heralds of the Kingdom
The Church of Jesus Christ is the herald and harbinger, the sign and outpost, of a new reality—the Kingdom of God. Jesus brought the Kingdom near, and the Spirit of God has delivered all who believe in Jesus into His new economy. The Kingdom of God exists within and among the followers of Jesus Christ, a new reality and power for making all things new and for causing the knowledge of the glory and pleasure of the Lord to cover the earth as the waters cover the sea (Hab. 2.14; 1 Cor. 10.31).
As we might expect, such a powerful new reality brings with it a new way of “doing business”—a new economy. And the currency of that economy, the way Kingdom citizens “do business” in the world, is grace.
In the Kingdom of God, Jesus explained, we relate to one another and the world by the tenets of a new and different economy. Whereas in the unbelieving world people get by in life by participating in an economy of getting and spending, in the Kingdom of God, where the currency and treasury are grace, God’s people thrive by giving, sacrificing, loving, and denying themselves. As we empty ourselves of all worldly and fleshly ambitions, we are filled with the Spirit and grace of God. Thus, we know His Presence in us, and we are able to show Him to the world by gracious acts and edifying words.
And, as we do, we enjoy the double delight of knowing God at work within and through us. And as we unpack the divine economy within our soul and live it out before the watching world, we confirm that we are indeed the children of the Most High God, brothers and sisters to the King and destined for eternal joy and pleasure with the Lord.
Each grace transaction reifies the Kingdom, broadens its beachhead in the world, and sets the stage for its further advance.
One small step at a time.The Kingdom in the small stuff
Now when we start talking about Kingdom matters, we tend to think in fairly exalted and extravagant terms. Big events. Large gatherings. Huge influxes of the lost. This, however, is just the leftover thinking of our old earthly and fleshly existence. We tend to associate power and glory with grandeur and spectacular achievement. That, after all, is the way things work in the world, no?
We even see this reflected within the community of believers. The big churches, the highly visible works, the carefully planned events, the proven programs— these are the things that really matter.
This may be how the world works, but it’s not the way of the Kingdom. In the Kingdom of God, to know the grace and pleasure and glory of God, we don’t fritter away our time dreaming up grandiose schemes, expansive projects, and ambitious undertakings to save the world. The Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. In the Kingdom, as we pay attention to the everyday details of living in the world, that seed takes root, begins to grow, and will ultimately bloom and bear fruit. All the work we’ve been given to do in all the time of our lives matters, for all of it represents an opportunity to spend grace in the world and to receive more grace from our Lord.
In the Kingdom, that is, we “sweat the small stuff” of life, because we understand that in all the small stuff, every moment of time, every word that passes between us and someone else, every opportunity to do good or share or give to another person—all the small stuff and everyday details of our lives—this is where we can spend the currency of the Kingdom and gain the treasury of the Kingdom at one and the same time.
For it is in all the everyday, small stuff details of our lives that we live in grace, know the pleasure and glory of God, and make His pleasure and glory known to others.
Attention to details
The apostle Paul instructs us to live for the Kingdom in every mundane, small stuff detail of our lives. Even if we’re just sharing a meal with someone, opportunities for extending grace to others abound (1 Cor. 10.31). The key is to prepare well, to think ahead about the moments and hours of the day so that you might get ready to live in the wisdom of God before the opportunities to do so actually arrive (Ps. 90.12, 16, 17).
Then, by paying careful attention to the goings-on around you, you can make the most of each moment and every opportunity to show the grace of God to others (Eph. 5.15-17). By denying ourselves and taking on whatever inconvenience or hardship or sacrifice or suffering may be required, we can empty ourselves of worldly ways and fleshly ambitions so that, filled with the Spirit of Christ, we can know the power and grace of God at work in and through us. Especially in the small stuff of life.
And thus we turn our part of the world rightside-up for Jesus Christ.
Now this is hard work. Paul says we have to work at being agents of grace; it doesn’t just happen because we claim to have a relationship with Jesus (Phil. 2.12). We have been redeemed by grace, and by grace we have been established in a new Kingdom of precious and very great promises. But we must work hard each day, in all the work we’ve been given to do, to make room for the Presence of God in and through us, and to deny every selfish inclination, if we would know the true joy and pleasure of God Himself, working in and through all the everyday small stuff of our lives.
For reflection
1. What do we mean by saying that the Kingdom of God is known and advanced “in the small stuff”?
2. Do you really believe that grace can make a difference in and through the “small stuff” of your life? Why or why not?
3. Why is growing in grace such “hard work” (Phil. 2.12)? What would you recommend to anyone who wanted to take on this hard work and know more of the grace of the Lord?
Next steps—Conversation: Meditate on 1 Corinthians 10.31. Make a list of all the “small stuff” opportunities you missed yesterday for showing the grace of God to others. Make a list of the opportunities you will have for conversation today. How will grace be evident in your words (Col. 4.6)?
T. M. Moore
Our book, Small Stuff, can flesh out in greater detail what we discussed above (also available in a free PDF).
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).
Other columns of interest this week: In our Read Moore column this week, we begin readings from the book, Such a Great Salvation. Our Crosfigell series on Brendan of Clonfert finds him in a bit of a setback, sailing back to Ireland to start all over again. You can subscribe to Read Moore and Crosfigell and receive them in your email regularly. Use the Subscriptions box at the bottom of the page to update your subscriptions. All subscriptions are free. Click the Articles tab on the home page to see all the selections available to you.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
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.
