We have been called and chosen by God, brought into a relationship with Jesus Christ and made
citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven; we can develop that mindset that we belong to Him and are not of this world. Philippians 3 states:
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
Our actions and attitudes are to be shaped by the heavenly citizenship. We are not called to think as the world does, but to adhere to higher standards, motivated by compassion and possessing an attitude of expectancy of what God will do through us. We are called to abide in Christ and to allow His Spirit to produce fruit through our lives. We submit to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and develop a desire to see Him exalted.
citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven; we can develop that mindset that we belong to Him and are not of this world. Philippians 3 states:
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
Our actions and attitudes are to be shaped by the heavenly citizenship. We are not called to think as the world does, but to adhere to higher standards, motivated by compassion and possessing an attitude of expectancy of what God will do through us. We are called to abide in Christ and to allow His Spirit to produce fruit through our lives. We submit to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and develop a desire to see Him exalted.
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We have been called to be citizens of a heavenly Kingdom; Jesus said to seek first the Kingdom of
God, which is a principle that a young man we'll talk about embraced. Romans 14 says:
(17) the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.
Recently, Seattle was hit by a snowstorm - with reportedly as much as 10 inches falling on an area that is not accustomed to snow. We know how crippling it can be down South when just a few inches hit the ground; well, you can imagine what the Pacific Northwest was experiencing.
A teenager from Idaho was visiting his mother in Seattle at the time of the storm, so he decided to undertake a little business venture, according to a story on the ChristianHeadlines.com website. The article cites a CBN News story, which said that David Holston, who is 18 years old, put an ad on Craig's List saying that he was available to plow snow. Christian Headlines states:
The 18-year-old Idaho native told CBN that he would start his day at 2 a.m. and work 12 to 15 hours plowing driveways, parking lots and streets each day. By the end of the week, Holston had made $35,000 and he knew exactly how he wanted to spend it.
In an interview with Fox News, Holston shared that he wanted to tithe 20 percent of his earnings to his church, buy lawn mowing equipment for a potential new business venture and save the rest for buying his first house.Holston was able to charge a much higher rate, due to the demand for his services - over $500 per hour!! The article goes on to say that Holston also told Fox that "it was only through Christ that he could have been so successful in his endeavor, noting that Luke 12:31 inspires his work ethic. Holston said, 'I credit all of my success to my savior Jesus Christ who died on a cross to forgive my sins and three days later rose from the dead.'"
The CBN article quotes that verse: “But seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you.” It relates that Holston had told CNN: “The Lord blessed me with the money for the sole purpose of advancing his kingdom,” adding, “All of the glory goes to God!”
So, let's consider a few things today. First of all, we can always be on the outlook for creative opportunities to serve God. But, sometimes the best opportunities we have to serve can come in our everyday routines - we don't necessarily have to attempt great and mighty exploits, just look to be more compassionate and God-aware in the everyday.
We can also remember that when God does bless us, we can be careful to give God the glory. There may be financial blessings, or blessings upon our families or relationships; whatever the case, we can take time to recognize those blessings and thank the Lord.
I am also reminded of my recent conversation with Janeese Spencer of Venture Life Coaching, who is teaching those parenting sessions this week. She encouraged the audience to not underestimate our young people; we can propel them to develop and use their gifts and skills.
All in all, we are to be about the business of advancing the Kingdom. That's what David Holston wanted to do; his desire was to give 20 percent of his earnings of this snow plowing endeavor to the church; he recognized that God's blessings were for the purposes of advancing the Kingdom. We can develop that Kingdom mindset and realize we're all called to do God's work.
So, let's consider a few things today. First of all, we can always be on the outlook for creative opportunities to serve God. But, sometimes the best opportunities we have to serve can come in our everyday routines - we don't necessarily have to attempt great and mighty exploits, just look to be more compassionate and God-aware in the everyday.
We can also remember that when God does bless us, we can be careful to give God the glory. There may be financial blessings, or blessings upon our families or relationships; whatever the case, we can take time to recognize those blessings and thank the Lord.
I am also reminded of my recent conversation with Janeese Spencer of Venture Life Coaching, who is teaching those parenting sessions this week. She encouraged the audience to not underestimate our young people; we can propel them to develop and use their gifts and skills.
All in all, we are to be about the business of advancing the Kingdom. That's what David Holston wanted to do; his desire was to give 20 percent of his earnings of this snow plowing endeavor to the church; he recognized that God's blessings were for the purposes of advancing the Kingdom. We can develop that Kingdom mindset and realize we're all called to do God's work.
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