Day 35: What matters most to you?

“For it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then each of us will give an account of himself to God … For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.” (Romans 14:11-12, 17-18)

Here is a reminder that when Jesus comes back, every nation, tribe and tongue will bow its knee and proclaim that Jesus is Lord.

We will be part of that large gathering, but even right now we can play our part in blessing the nations and getting as many people along with us so that there can be great rejoicing on that glorious day.

It may seem like a huge task – whether you have dabbled in missions or not – but we should all get caught up with what matters the most! 

Where do we begin? I believe the answer is found in verse 17:

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” 

You see, today the blessings of the Kingdom of God, which is the future inheritance of the children of God, can be enjoyed and achieved with the help of the Holy Spirit.

The verse challenges us not to get caught up with the daily needs that don’t last.

In Singapore, we always worry about what to eat or what to drink. During breakfast, we worry about what we’re going to eat for dinner! Or maybe there are things that seem like needs and problems. There is nothing wrong with that – there will come days when we need to make those decisions – but they are not what we should get caught up with.

Instead, we should be known and get caught up by the Holy Spirit that produces:

• Righteousness
• Peace and Joy
• Power to live out God’s plans and experience the Kingdom of God to come

Turning blessing others into a lifestyle

How do we make the pursuit of God’s Kingdom a lifestyle that brings a blessing to our lives and to the nations around us? 

1. Take the time to evaluate our pursuits

We are not just talking about our vocation or habits. 

a. Where do we truly spend most of our time?
b. Where do our thoughts wander to most of the time? Is there a situation or problem you are facing that is consuming you?
c. Is there something in our life that, if taken away, would cause major anxiety?

We need to ask the Holy Spirit to evaluate and let the peace of God rule our hearts and our minds.

2. Pursue the infilling of the Holy Spirit

“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:18)

This challenges us to be filled with the Holy Spirit. We should not be satisfied with just a little bit, or half, or even only on Sundays, but to seek a daily overflow in our lives that would result in power to reach our nation and the nations of the world. 

3. Build each other up

“So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.” (Romans 14:19)

Let us invest in what builds up instead of what tears down. Let’s get our eyes off our needs and look to the needs of others and what God is doing in our spheres of influence, in our church and in the nations of the world.

Which nation can we start praying for? Which nation can we project to go? 

If we want to see the nations blessed – it starts with us getting caught up with what matters most and that can happen right now.

Join me as I close in prayer.

Holy Spirit, would You help us to catch what You are doing right now and Your heart for the Kingdom and Your heart for the nations of the world. Help us to put aside pursuits that are not of You but be filled with Your Holy Spirit. Teach us to look out for the needs of others so that Your Kingdom can be established and come to us right here and right now, and that we can be part of Your plan to see every nation, tribe and tongue be blessed.

In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Reflect

1. What is the Holy Spirit revealing to you as you evaluate your pursuits? How will you re-prioritise the way you spend your time so you will grow closer to the heart of Jesus?

2. Which “tribe or tongue” is God impressing upon you to minister to? They can even be in Singapore. How will you begin to reach out to them?

3. Who can you build up today with an encouraging word or kind deed?

Pray

1. Pray to grasp the magnitude of God’s desire for none to perish but for all to come to repentance. Ask God to stir up a similar passion in your heart to be part of His plan to carry Good News to the ends of the earth. “The Gospel is only good news if it gets there in time.” (Carl FH Henry)

2.  Ask what your role is in the mission field. Ask God if you are called to be part of the sending – through prayer, sponsorship, planning, fundraising – or part of the sent?

3. Ask for a heightened awareness of the needs around you, and for opportunities to reach out to people who live in your household, neighbourhood, workplace and community. Seek God’s guidance on how to share His love and the Gospel with them effectively.

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