God’s kingdom is about rescuing human lives from sin, demonic powers, and empty, joyless ways of living. But God didn’t design His kingdom to roll out automatically. It’s not a conveyer belt rolling mechanically towards heaven. The plan is…us. In the middle of our growing, reaching, changing lives, the kingdom comes to earth. God’s giving us the keys to rescue human lives from sin, demonic powers, and empty, joyless ways of living. And He’s letting us create ways to grow His kingdom.
What does that look like? It’s God letting us come up with our own ideas and decisions and bring them to Him. It’s God making us more than just a puppet in His plans. Giving us dignity and maturity, all the while connected to Him. But so often we shrink back, waiting instead for God to micro-manage His kingdom. If you’re wary of God trusting you and giving you freedom, it could be that you’ve not yet discovered the authority He’s gladly giving you. Ask Him today, ‘open up my imagination to see where Your kingdom can grow in my family, my friends, my entire community.’ Tell Him you want to start applying your mind and your heart to it. Ponder over the ideas that come to mind. Take steps towards them in the days that follow. See how He starts trusting you with more and more.
What now?
God tells us that He ‘trusts us with His property’ – and more than that, He trusts us to cultivate it and multiply it. Read the rest of the parable of the talents in Matthew 25 with that in mind.