The Upside-Down Kingdom
By Kelly Chesnut, Deeply Rooted Coordinator
Post date: May 4, 2020
The kingdom of heaven is unlike anything we expect to find in the world today.
In God’s kingdom, life is found in death, power is found in weakness, freedom comes with surrender, greatness is found in service, the first will be last and the last will be first, and enemies are to be loved and not hated.
Jesus upended our lives when he called us to follow him and be part of this kingdom. The call to follow Jesus is a continual call to live as citizens in an upside-down kingdom.
And now, maybe more than ever before, we’re increasingly presented with opportunities to love God and love others as we look to Jesus as our ultimate example. Seizing these moments may look different than it did a few months ago, but isn’t that what it means to follow Jesus? To live differently?
Since June 2019, three generations live in our household, and there are nine of us total. We’ve become comfortable since then in our routines and interactions, so it hasn't been that hard to live together.
But in a season of more time together like quarantine provides, you might find us running low on patience and becoming increasingly irritable with one another! While there are plenty of opportunities for us to become irritable, there are also plenty of opportunities to love one another well.
Do we always succeed in loving each other well? No. But each of us strives to surrender to God’s plans and purposes which are different from what we anticipated in this season.
That’s the beauty of being a child of God; because of Jesus, we are different. Nothing will ever be the same again. Hallelujah!
May we be people who find solid footing in this topsy-turvy season, knowing that Jesus is our ultimate example and our firm foundation. May we be people who live differently from those around us and reflect the values and love of Christ’s upside-down kingdom.
Questions for Reflection:
What has turned your world upside-down in this season?
As you look to Jesus as your example, what needs to change in your mindset and posture as you seek to love and serve others?
How is God calling you to love him and others in ways that reflect his upside-down kingdom?
Dive deeper into how Jesus set the example of what it means to love others with grace and humility.
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