Not Part of the Plan预览

Day Seven: Looking for Kingdom Moments

The one thing we hope you’ll take away from our time together comes from some of the most important words Jesus left us with. You may recognize today’s passage in Matthew because it’s commonly known as the Great Commission.

That’s it. Right there. That’s what life is ultimately about.

It’s about building God’s kingdom and making His name great. It’s not about building our own little kingdoms with our perfect families and white picket fences. It’s not about building a social media following that attracts brand deals. It’s not about being the most liked, respected, or admired gal. It’s not about having your dream life come true.

Focusing on building God’s kingdom is the very reason we’ve been able to thrive in the midst of our own unfulfilled longings.

So, what does it mean to build God’s kingdom? It’s actually very simple. It’s changing the lens through which you look at life. It’s viewing life through a lens that says, “How can I point someone to Jesus today?” It’s looking for those little moments to make His name great. Kingdom moments could look like any of the following:

Responding with kindness and grace when someone makes a mean comment about you in person or online. 

Choosing to celebrate the engagement of your best friend while you’re still desperately praying for a man of your own. 

Taking that first step toward your difficult coworker and inviting her out to lunch . . . and paying if you can afford to.

Pursuing reconciliation with your difficult in-laws and showing them Christ-centered sacrificial love. Even when you feel like they’re in the wrong and you’re in the right.

Making the time to pray for that unsaved family and proactively sharing the gospel of Jesus with them.

Choosing to forgo the new summer wardrobe in order to support an orphan living thousands of miles away.

Praying and asking God to use you in whatever way He sees fit.

There are endless opportunities to go after kingdom moments. It just takes a willingness to put yourself second and God first. It means taking your eyes off of what you want out of life and focusing instead on what God wants from your life. Sister, we want you to look back a decade from now with such joy and gladness over the way you’ve chosen to live.

How is it possible to thrive when life doesn’t go according to your plan? How can you go about building God’s kingdom instead of your own?