Whose kingdom shall we build?

by Nancy G Daniel

The Bible says that we should be building God’s kingdom not man’s. Though this is a broad subject it is worth looking at.

We can simply  “join God at His work”, as Henry Blackaby, former Southern Baptist Missions Board Director puts it. That sounds easy. Jesus did this as He would do what He saw the Father doing. This does two things. It allows us to join the Lord and brings heaven to earth.

Think about the times we see the missing places or holes in individuals or ministries. These holes can be sin; there we must call sin, sin and allow Holy Spirit to bring conviction. But holes can also be a lack of knowledge or wisdom; a lack of character and/or integrity. What do we do when we see others, even leaders in these places that can be shear ignorance?If we start talking about them to others we enlarge those places and join the enemy condemning them and all we get is a bigger hole; we are not bringing heaven to earth nor are we partnering with God to build the kingdom. This builds the kingdom of darkness and it may build our own kingdom, as others join with us against our brother’s ignorance or lack, but in the end that is worthless. We must consider our goal.

Becoming a “people builder” or a “hole cover” at first can seem diminishing to us as individuals. When we know we are right and are smarter, bigger, faster or better this also seems foolish. But if we are smarter, faster, bigger or better then we can see as God sees. And God sees the good and likes to enlarge that part of the person or ministry so as that is enlarged the enemy flees. When the enemy flees God is glorified.

Now it is up to God to recognize or promote us in our great skills of covering or enlarging. Sometimes He does and sometimes He does not.

Sometimes God has us as undercover agents. We are “standard setters” or “pacesetters”. We show up and do not realize it but our very walk is convicting to others. Again we see the holes and missing place, and we ask the Lord to show us where He is working, then enlarge the place of life in the ministry or individual, as we see the Father doing we will be bringing heaven to earth and building God’s kingdom.

Everywhere we go we can see these holes. In every ministry and every business and every government. It is what we do with them that makes the eternal difference.