Practicing the Kingdom’s Abundance

A few evenings ago my family and I went downtown to eat together to celebrate and mark the official end of school and the beginning of summer. Barb and I said, “It was a long school year, get what you want! Enjoy yourself.” And that we did. Soon fruity drinks and appetizers filled the table and fun conversations started. Later the entrees arrived and the talk turned to superheros and superpowers. My superhero name would be “The Epiphany” and my superpower would be this: I could put my hand on a person’s shoulder and they would realize what they mean to other people. How about you? 

It will always be a memory of abundance: a table of people who love me, plates of delicious food, glasses of our favorite drinks, laughter (the kind when you lean into the arm of the person next to you), and smiles after a year of tests, homework, and early mornings. It was needed. It was perfect.

A few weeks ago I talked about the kingdom of God, which is the influence of God in us. Jesus noted that the kingdom of God’s distinguishing mark was abundance and that it shows up everywhere. It is something to be noticed, enjoyed, and lived into and not something that has to be manipulated or forced. 

Have you ever recognized how easy it is to notice the negative? We have to practice noticing the positive. It’s the same with the kingdom of Christ. When we train ourselves to see, “Oh, that’s a bit of God’s grace shining through in that moment,” we are more likely to see it the next time. It reinforces itself over time, lifts our mood, and elevates our perspective. 

Practicing belief in the kingdom’s abundance is life-changing. Indeed, it doesn’t take away the negatives. However, it helps you see the reality you’ve been missing all along, and that in itself is a superpower. Imagine what that would mean to you.