Kingdom Living: A Risky Business

In my last post, I mentioned that Mr. The King and I have made some counter-cultural decisions, some decisions that many people will not understand. Well, today, I want to share a little bit about this new phase in our life.

 For several years, I have been on a steady decline both physically and mentally. I've been overwhelmed, stressed out, anxious and depressed while trying to juggle the demands of home, ministry and a full time job that I am not really suited for. For quite a while, I was trying to do it all on my own, and I felt like a complete failure! I had no joy in life, and serving Jesus was no longer a pleasure or privileged, just another obligation. Well, two weeks ago, I took a risk...a giant step of faith. I quit my full time job, the one that paid the bills... and made me completely miserable.

After, I had made the decision, I began to feel some fear and confusion creep in. Oddly enough, I wasn't fearful regarding our financial situation, but I was fearful of how people would perceive my decision. Thoughts began to fill my mind.

"People will think you are lazy and don't want to work," I thought. "People will think that you are being financially irresponsible. People will think you are stupid to quit a steady job in this economy."

All these thoughts crowded my mind and filled my heart with anxiety on that first day of my decision. I was in such a state that I couldn't sleep, so I did what I know to be the best thing for my restless soul, I opened my Bible. I prayed for the Lord to speak to me, and this is the story he gave me:

Matthew 25:14-30 

¹⁴ “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. ¹⁵ He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. ¹⁶ “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more.¹⁷ The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. ¹⁸ But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money. ¹⁹ “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. ²⁰ The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’ ²¹ “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ ²² “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’ ²³ “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ ²⁴ “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. ²⁵ I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’ ²⁶ “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, ²⁷ why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’ ²⁸ “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. ²⁹ To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. ³⁰ Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

I had read this passage many times before, but this time it hit home in a new and timely way. As I thought about the two faithful servants who invested their masters money, I realized that there was a certain amount of risk involved for them. The third servant was not willing to take that risk, and because of that, he hid the money thus wasting an opportunity to earn more for His master. The master then took away his portion and gave it to the the first servant because the first servant was faithful with what he had been given.

When I spent some time in honest reflection, I realized that I have not been faithful with the gifts that the Lord has given me. I have been so concerned with seeking security for myself that I have wasted opportunities to glorify God with my life. After reading this parable once I again, I was assured that I had made the right decision. Trusting God and living for His Kingdom requires risks on our part, and I believe that my step of faith was just the step I needed in my life to propel me into a deeper spiritual walk and a more meaningful ministry. God is confirming more and more everyday that He honors our faithfulness and willingness to take risks for the Kingdom.

We've learned that Kingdom living is risky business, but the reward is greater than the cost. Since our step of faith, I've experienced a peace like never before. We don't know what is coming next, but we are open to what God has for us. I am excited about the possibilities for the future, and I know that God is going to take care of us. I feel no fear, only hope and joy!! 

This song by Switchfoot based on the Lord's Prayer has been a great source of peace and comfort for me during this time of transition. I hope that you will find it comforting as well.

Your Love is Strong - Switchfoot