Skip to main content

“The kingdom isn’t earned; it’s a gift. It flows from our generous Father’s love.”

A thought by Jon Tyson from his book, The Burden Is Light: Liberating Your Life from the Tyranny of Performance and Success (p. 55). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

Now that is really good news, isn’t it?

Jon says, “At the end of the Gospels, Jesus pressed this point home. While he was preparing for the Passover, a dispute arose among the disciples as to which of them should be considered the greatest. How ironic. As Jesus was preparing the table of redemption centered on grace, the disciples were still competing for their place. Jesus rebuked them and reminded them that they were called to serve. And they could serve because the kingdom is conferred by grace, not earned by competition. Jesus told them, ‘You are those who have stood by me in my trials. And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.’ (Luke 22:28-30) You don’t have to compete with others for what is already yours. There is a seat at the table with your name on it. Now use your privilege and position to welcome others in.”

He goes on, “Since Eden, all of us have been on a similar journey: facing down our insecurity, unsure of our worth in the world, using others as scaffolding to build ourselves up. We ache for that place where we are unconditionally loved and no longer need to prove our worth. But citizenship and success in any earthly society will never be enough. They will never fill our souls because the ache we feel is eternal. The kingdom we long for is a kingdom of grace, not a kingdom of works. The kingdom of God is a kingdom of mercy. Its only economy is love. And the road that leads us home is the road of humility and compassion, winding toward the Father who runs to greet us, removing the burden of performance and clothing us with the robe of acceptance and grace, a garment that fits perfectly for people like us. The pressure is off, and you have nothing to prove, so ‘fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.’ (Luke 12:32 ESV)

And that is really good news, isn’t it?


Yes, yes!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

“There’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.”

A thought by Bob Goff from his book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People ( p. 41). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)   Have you ever built a sand castle or maybe a Lego castle?   Have you? Bob says, “We actually build castles all the time, out of our jobs and our families and the things we’ve purchased. Sometimes we even make them out of each other. Some of these castles are impressive too. Lots of people come to admire what we’ve built over the course of our lives and tell us what great castles we have. But Jesus told His friends we weren’t supposed to spend our lives building castles. He said He wanted us to build a kingdom, and there’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.” Bob goes on, “You see, castles have moats to keep creepy people out, but kingdoms have bridges to let everyone in. Castles have dungeons for people who ha...
Post a Comment
Read more

“God does big things with small deeds.”

A thought by Max Lucado (2011-05-02) from his book, Cure for the Common Life (p. 115). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) I don’t know how you feel about what you are doing and how it can make a difference.   You may feel that it is so small and not even worth the effort. Max says, “Begin. Just begin! What seems small to you might be huge to someone else. Just ask Bohn Fawkes. During World War II, he piloted a B-17. On one mission he sustained flak from Nazi antiaircraft guns. Even though his gas tanks were hit, the plane did not explode, and Fawkes was able to land the plane. “On the morning following the raid, Fawkes asked his crew chief for the German shell. He wanted to keep a souvenir of his incredible good fortune. The crew chief explained that not just one but eleven shells had been found in the gas tanks, none of which had exploded. “Technicians opened the missiles and found them void of explosive cha...
Post a Comment
Read more

"Lie 2: The more you worry about it, the better your odds of avoiding it."

A thought by Louie Giglio in his book,   Winning the War on Worry    (p. 5). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Here is another lie that the Enemy uses with us. And Louie says, "This is a tricky lie. Yes, we often have cause for concern and preparation. But the Enemy wants you to believe that if you worry or fret over a certain outcome long enough, you can keep something bad from happening." But this is so important to realize. He says, "The reality is worrying has never once prevented something negative from happening. Planning might. Prayer has. But worry never will." He continues, "The Enemy tells you that by worrying about a situation (or every situation) you can make your tomorrow better. Really, worry just robs you of today. Jesus implored us: 'I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body mor...
Post a Comment
Read more