Why does being in God’s Kingdom cause us to love differently?
Blog post by Bruce Larson
3 minute read
When we met as a group on July 11, we continued learning from the life of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1. And we gained a pretty good idea of what she did when confronted with heart wrenching and life-changing difficulties.
Instead of acting out in the way that people usually do when they are wronged or misrepresented, she acted in kindness. We thought about the following challenges Hannah faced, and the resulting responses:
Column 1 and 3 are what Hannah faced and how she responded. Column two is what I/we often do, and what we might have likely done if we were in Hannah’s situation.
Reading about Hannah’s response is a great case study of what we might do when we respond in a manner that reveals and represents the Kingdom of God (a useful synonym for kingdom is realm). For example, when we are misunderstood, in my kingdom or realm of living I might fight back or run away. In God’s realm we learn to pray or to ask for help. Again, when facing physical challenges or feeling neglected by God in my realm I may disappear or be on the attack and angry. In the Realm of God I don’t compare my life to others and I have more peace.
This is helpful and good to know, but not enough.
Knowing what to do, or even how to do something is better when understanding why we want to or need to do it.
Think about these real situations:
We have a friendship that becomes rocky because differing political views have led to hurtful comments.
We cannot find a job after months or years of applying to many open positions, or the current job we have is frustrating and not what we want to do.
We are lonely and not able find a close friend or companion to share our thoughts or feelings; we feel isolated.
We know that placing higher value on God’s Kingdom than my kingdom will help, but if we struggle with knowing why this is true, then we may not change our outlook. When we value our ideas and our strategies, we miss out on God’s peace and the joy that He provides. God allows me to value things differently. From the three examples above, I will still have friends who are hurtful, challenges and frustrations with work, and loneliness, but my valuing His Kingdom over mine allows me to look at circumstances differently. When we value the Kingdom of God we begin to change our thinking about our life and put less emphasis on the other kingdoms in their world. Said differently, having a high value of God’s Kingdom helps us value less the things in their life.
Matthew 13 gives accounts of many parables told by Jesus. Near the end of that chapter, we read two parables that help us understand why valuing God’s Kingdom invites me to value everything else differently:
44 The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
Many lessons emerge from these parables, but one principle is that God’s realm is so valuable and important that we should do all we can to gain it. Why? It offers peace that our realms do not. It provides a relationship with God.
Let’s think back to Hannah. Why did she return, and cry out to God, and be visible, and pray for help, and receive peace?
Think about that for a moment…
She gave up something in her realm (control, anger, revenge, bitterness, hard work) because she valued the Realm of God more. In the middle of her anguish, when the priest places a judgement on her of being drunk, Hannah responds this way:
“The only thing I’ve poured is my heart to the Lord. Do not take me for a bad woman; my great sorrows and terrible situation is why I’m still here praying.”
Why does Hannah pray? Her sorrows and situation are so desperate that she must depend on God. The realms in her life have no answer, but God’s realm does. So, she chooses to value the things in God’s Kingdom.
Becoming a Christian isn’t about changing what we believe, it’s about changing what we love.
How does being in God’s Kingdom cause us to love things differently?
What is in your realm today that is important to you, but when you lay it alongside the Kingdom of God becomes less important?
Read one more paragraph if you want to think a bit more deeply about this.
In Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus declares:
37…‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
Pretty clear what to do, isn’t it? Now, consider why Jesus gave these commands. Why are loving God these ways, and loving our neighbor game changers? Why will this lead me to value something as less important than the Kingdom of God?
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