YOUR KINGDOM COME

How many times have you prayed the Lord’s Prayer and said, “Your kingdom come Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10 NKJV). What do those words mean? Simply stated, it is God’s will that His kingdom reign in the hearts of people on earth so they will one day join those who reign with Him in heaven.

The Bible has much to say about life after death, which contradicts the popular belief that all “good” people go to heaven. My mother believed and taught me that deception, and as a young child, it confused me. I knew there were days when I was very good and other days when I was disobedient. So, was God keeping a running tally, and the side that had the greater number of check marks determined the ultimate destination? Thus, I spent the early part of my life struggling with the exhausting task of being good enough to gain entrance into heaven. So, how does God define good?

Jesus addressed the issue of “good” when a rich young ruler called Jesus, “good teacher.”  The Lord quickly corrected him by saying that only God is good. This was for the benefit of the young man who failed to recognize Jesus as God incarnate.

The young ruler then asked Jesus how to attain eternal life and quickly avowed that he had been faithfully following all the commandments.  Jesus, knowing the young man’s heart and his great weakness for wealth, told him to go and sell everything and follow Him. Jesus’ piercing directive pushed the man to think about what he valued most—his wealth or his soul.

The young man went away sad, because of his great wealth (Mark 10:22) Though he had devoted himself to keeping God’s commandments, he had failed to keep the first and greatest of the commandments—"love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Matthew 22:37-38).

Believers are warned, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (I John 2:15-17). Sadly, the young ruler’s riches held greater value than following the Son of God. The Word is clear, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them” (John 3:36).

We cannot judge this young man, because we all hold tightly to something that we struggle to release to God. It may be a habit, trust issues, a behavior, a false belief, a hidden sin, or an addiction to something that has power over us. For “if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (I John1:8).

True believers have confessed sin and asked God to be Lord of their life. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Upon that confession and commitment to Christ, we are filled with the Holy Spirit who gives us power to overcome sin, and as believers in Christ to be concerned for the souls of others.

Fifty years ago, as a new believer in Christ, a co-worker asked me, "What makes you so happy?” God opened the door to share my story and lead her to Christ. Today, she is a successful Christian author of numerous books and a powerful voice for the gospel of Jesus Christ. My obedience to share Jesus with her has continued to reap a harvest of souls far beyond what I could have imagined.

The apostle Paul told us to look for “the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). Therefore, knowing that the Lord could return at any moment for His Church, should give pause for believers in Christ to share the gospel with others.

The lives of believers in Christ should reflect their commitment and love for their Savior. However, we must also recognize that as humans, we are imperfect and manage to sin  in some way through our thoughts, words, choices, and behaviors. (Drive a car on the highway and the careless behavior of another makes it is easy to think or say inappropriate things). Yet we must recognize that a wrong thought or word cannot be ignored, because we are told to “take every thought captive” (2 Corinthians 10:5). And “those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity” (Proverbs 21:23).

When we pray, “Thy Kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” we are asking our heavenly Father to help us govern our lives as faithful, moral, obedient, authentic, and effective Christians so that the world is drawn to Him through our words, actions, observable character, integrity, and behavior (Matthew 7:16; Proverbs 4:23). If we are not living a faithful, authentic life for Christ, how can we be instruments of God’s grace and love that draws others to Him.

God wants all sinners to be saved (I Timothy 2:4). Thus, the Lord’s Prayer is a model for  intercessory prayer not only for ourselves, but also for the salvation of souls. So, when praying, “Thy Kingdom come,” we are asking that God’s kingdom reign not only in our hearts, but also in the hearts of loved ones, friends, co-workers, and neighbors.

So, how do we share the love we have for Christ with others without offending? We  reflect Christ’s character through love, kindness, and compassion (2 Corinthians 5:16-21). With gentleness and respect for their beliefs, comments, and questions, we explain the hope that is within us and what Christ has done for us. It is not a time for winning an argument or our point of view. We simply plant the seed and leave the work to the Holy Spirit (I Peter 3:15).

Each day, I am grateful that my sister-in-law shared the gospel—despite my initial resistance. It was a moment in time that forever changed the trajectory of my life. That night my misguided ideas and vain agenda was exchanged for God’s beautiful and fulfilling plan for me. That is why the expansion of God’s heavenly kingdom can only happen when followers of Christ share their personal relationship and love for Jesus Christ and how His love pursued them.

We are called to gently and lovingly share the Good News, so others can experience God’s love and His glorious eternity. The fruits of our obedience in sharing what God has done for us will cause God’s kingdom to grow on earth as it is in heaven.

PRAYER: Father, forgive me for those times when I ignored opportunities to share Your truths because I was afraid of offending or being rejected. Help me to be an authentic and unafraid Christian who lovingly and respectfully shares the Good News with others so that Your kingdom may reign in their hearts. In Jesus’ name, amen.