Kingdom Centered

A long time ago, someone told me I was going to be rich.  This was many years ago.  I don't know if that word is going to come true or not, but they said it.

My response was immediate:  "But I'm going to be rich towards God, right?"  My focus was on the wealth I would have in Heaven.  I honestly didn't care about having money in this life- what mattered to me was, was I going to be rich towards God?  That's what every believer's heart should be at.

I think, we need to be focused on advancing God's kingdom.  We need to be focused on bringing glory and honor to God, not our own personal advancement.  We need to do the right thing because it brings glory to God and because we'll have treasure in Heaven, not for personal advancement.  God may advance us- I believe God loves his people and desires that we have lives that bring glory to his kingdom, and I know our success tends to give more glory to God than our failures.  That does not mean that we are focused on our own story.  It also doesn't mean that if things aren't going well in your life that that is evidence that you aren't obeying God.  It COULD, but it doesn't have to, so it's shaky at best to look at your circumstances as a verdict on how you are living your life.

If we have sin in our lives, we need to deal with it.  Viewing ourselves as always the victim with no hand in the things that happen can lead to an unhealthy perspective.  I'm convicted as I say this, because it's often unclear to me what my mistake was in certain situations.  Regardless, I agree with the principle- you need to always be asking God for insight into your role in the tragedies that befall you.  If you messed up, you need to go back and apologize and try to make it right.  I don't believe asking God's forgiveness is enough- whenever you can, you need to go back to the person you sinned against and try to make it right.

Also I think it's important to be ever-focused on the real Whys of why you be righteous.  It's not for your personal prosperity.  Your number one reason for being righteous has ALWAYS got to be to bring glory to the Almighty.  Bringing glory to God has to be the focus.  You can't forget that in your midst.  If you need a selfish reason to be righteous, there is one- so that you might have treasure in Heaven.  My hope is that the first reason- bringing glory and honor to the Lord Almighty will be enough, as it should be enough.  I do think treasure in Heaven is real, and I do think some people will be richer than others in Heaven, and we should all aspire to being rich in Heaven.  I just hope my readers would aspire to more than personal advancement when they try to love their enemies and help the needy.  

May God teach my readers to think in Kingdom ways, and to try to be focused on having the right attitude in all situations, because we will be judged for how we conduct ourselves and whether we put God's kingdom first in all things.  To God be the glory!