Kingdoms

Being the music lover I am, I listen to my iPod quite often. I was reading one night before I went to bed, and my iPod was playing in the background. A song came on. It was one that I've heard many times before, but I never really listened to the message before. The song was "In the Blink of an Eye, by MercyMe. There were two parts of the song in which I found a really great message. The first went like this:

And though I’m living a good life
Can my life be something great?

What is the a "good" life? We often think of it as one filled with pleasure and luxury. Fast cars, money, a big mansion. In this song, he tells us that there's a difference between a "good life" and a life that is "something great". I think he's saying that a good life is exactly what we think it is: money, pampering, and material possessions. So what does it mean to have a life that is "something great?" The difference is in what you do. If you're living a life that's something great, you are living for God. So I thought "How can I do that?" I'm a very busy person. Between homework, work, sports, and other obligations, I barely even have time to breathe! Isn't everyone like that, at least sometimes? We get so busy trying to do things to "enhance" our lives (a.k.a. making them more comfortable) that we isolate ourselves from God. That leads me to the second passage from the song:

How can I further Your kingdom
When I'm so wrapped up in mine?

When we get so caught up in out kingdom of material possessions such like things, God often, but not always, nor for all people, comes second to that. You may now be asking something like: "How do we further God's kingdom, like the song says?" (and even if you weren't thinking that, I'll tell you anyway :) ). We further His kingdom by spreading His Word, and by following Jesus Christ. Doing things for others is a way of doing that. Volunteering, donating, doing random acts of kindness, they're all ways for God to work through you. But we can also simply make our everyday actions reflect God's kingdom. Just do what's right. That's the easiest way to stay out of a material kingdom, and further the Kingdom of God. Amen.

Peace,
Kyle

( Credits: Lyrics from the song "In the Blink of an Eye" by MercyMe
Lyrics found on www.christianlyricsonline.com )