I recently have begun to understand what it really means for those who claim to be in the Kingdom where Jesus is King. We are not only called to believe in him but also to witness about him to the world. And most of us, myself included, have fallen super short in this area.

I look at some of the things my friends and I post about on Facebook. They consist mostly of drama, news, sports, jokes, and accomplishments. And every now and then, if someone is sick or feeling especially grateful, I’ll see posts like, “Praying asking God for a speedy recovery”, or “I thank God for this new job”, or, my personal favorite, “Wont He Do It?”. Now, I’m going to assume that most people that post things like that consider themselves Christians. They believe that Jesus died for their sins and may even go to church most Sundays. But why don’t we post things concerning the Kingdom?? Why don’t we post things concerning what the Word says about a given situation?? Why do we fail to consistently share the good news of the Gospel??

Consider this. Are we ashamed of what we believe? Are we embarrassed? We often lack understanding as to why we believe what we believe. And when we do not understand something, it becomes difficult and even uncomfortable sharing what we believe with others. We also will find it difficult to apply what we believe in our every day lives. But this is why we must spend more time reading and studying the Word. If someone were to ask you the reasoning for your believing in what you believe, could you truly give an answer? And I’m not talking about some vague, generic answer. But could you really articulate and describe what you believe and why?

1 Peter 3:15 says this, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…”

Why can we can give a synopsis of what happened on Love and Hip Hop the other night and call all the characters by name, but we can’t explain the love of Jesus? Why can we can spread funny videos around like candy and cause them to go viral but we can’t defend our faith against tests and trials? Jesus said in Luke Chapter 9 that if we are ashamed of him and his words here on earth, He will be ashamed of us when he returns in all his glory. And it’s not that everyone is called to be a preacher but there are a multitude of ways we can share the Word. There are ways you can address everyday situations with the Word. But we often don’t like to put in the time and effort to get this understanding. We like to be “casual” Christians. We like to be “comfortable” Christians. And that, my friends, is not what a TRUE Christian really is.

So I encourage you with this. Study, watch videos, and read things pertaining to the Word and gain understanding. For the past couple of months, that’s been my goal. I NEED to really understand the “WHY” in why I believe as I believe and how to address any given situation with the Word. And not just by simply quoting scriptures, but by governing and presenting my answers to questions in a way that makes sense, is applicable, and has its foundations in what the Word says.

KINGDOM THINKING