It’s hot. It is the rage to talk about advancing God’s Kingdom, building the Kingdom, sharing the gospel of the Kingdom, being missional, being Kingdom minded. And it should be. The gospel of the Kingdom is what Jesus taught.
The question is: How did God intend to build His Kingdom?
As with most things, the answers are found in the beginning. God’s plans are laid out early. Let’s look at Genesis 1.
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, [b] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
God created man and woman and told them to have babies, fill the earth, and rule it. RULE the earth. Be Kings and Queens over it. Represent me and my authority and rule. Translation: Build my Kingdom.
Here’s the eye-opener: God is creating the institution of the family and then telling the families he created to live as families to build Kingdom. Godly families are the original intent of our “FATHER” for the establishment of His Kingdom on earth!
As I realized that just today while reading these verses I became even more excited about being called to family ministries. It already seemed obvious to me that the only way to disciple nations was to disciple families, as families are the foundational unit of all societies/nations, but to realize that God clearly designed families for the building of His Kingdom seals the deal for me.
Add to this beginning, the fact that God clearly gives parents the responsibility to train up their children in His ways and love, one can quickly begin to see how one would build the Kingdom here on earth through family. Just as our heavenly Father shows us how to live and loves us unconditionally, we should disciple our children in how to live and love them unconditionally. Since “love never fails,” doing these things will necessarily succeed and result in the building of God’s Kingdom and godly rule over the earth. If each family would pursue God wholeheartedly we would raise up godly children who, in turn, would raise up godly children, populating the earth with men and women who know God and make Him known.
Many of us grow up wanting to save the world. Well, let’s get started by saving the family. Is your own family whole? If not, get busy. It’s no wonder that Satan attacks the family so strongly. Let’s end the cycles of abuse and conflict by loving our families. Let’s join together in going to our Father and pray that His Kingdom will come to earth, beginning with our family.