When asked by the Pharisees in Luke 17 when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God is already among you.”
How do we know that? Is it measurable? Can we see it?
Sometimes the kingdom of God is tangible in your life. Sometimes it’s not as much as you would like it to be. Below are 4 evidences that the kingdom of God rules in your life.
- Your life doesn’t make sense to the outsider
Many times the way of the cross and the life of the Christian seems foolish to those not belonging to the faith. Relying only on worldly wisdom, they don’t understand many foundational principles that our faith stands on.
And can you blame them? I think it’s safe to say most people want life to be easy; however, the things Jesus asks us to value in our lives usually don’t come easy. It’s not easy to forgive people who don’t deserve it, to love your enemy, to tithe regularly, or to care for people who can’t care for themselves. But even though the outsider might not understand our ways, we know that following Jesus’ commands leads to true life and kingdom growth.
- Your prayers are Christ-like
Your prayer life is a window into your soul; it shows you what you truly value. The things at the top of your prayer list are the things that are most important in your life.
As far as we can tell, prayers for safety, happiness, comfort, better things, or better jobs didn’t consume Jesus’ prayer list. He prayed for unity in the church (John 17), for God’s will to be done here on earth (Matthew 6) and for God to send people out into the “harvest field” (Matthew 9). Jesus’ prayers were, at their core, about the kingdom and about others. What do you pray about?
- You trust God’s care more than people’s advice
If the kingdom of God rules in your heart, you will be prompted to risk much in order to advance it— even if your financial advisor, bank, boss, or your own family/friends advise against it. Jesus regularly asked people to sell everything they had and follow him. Talk about taking a risk!
But we can be risky people because we trust that God will ultimately provide for us and care for us. Do you believe that? What have you risked for the sake of the kingdom?
- You lose yourself in God’s grand narrative
Throughout history, God has been telling his story of how much he loves us and longs for us to be in a relationship with him. The best part is that he invites us to play a role in His story!
Kingdom-minded people lose themselves, day by day, in God’s grand narrative. How do you do this? You kill your selfish desires and align yourself with God’s will. You make sure you are in the world, but not of it (John 17). And you chisel off anything in your life that does not look like Christ through repentance.
John 3:30
In the end, the kingdom reigns in kingdom-minded people.
I think John the Baptist really understood how to put the kingdom of God first and foremost in his life. He dedicated his whole life to preparing the way for Jesus to usher in that kingdom. As people who allow the kingdom to reign in our life, our motto should sound like his:
“He must become greater; I must become less.” (John 3)
Corey Stumne
growinggodskingdomdotlive 