Living As a Kingdom Person

Long Dusty Road
by Deanna Esplin





No one, having put his hand to the plow,
and looking back,
is fit for the kingdom of God.

- Luke 9:62




For many are called, but few are chosen.

- Matthew 22:14

Good-bye, September...welcome, October!

As we mark the beginning of another month today, I somehow knew that God would have a special message for me. And I was not mistaken.

Yesterday, at around 3:45 a.m. I was gently awakened by a conversation I was having with my Father. My body was still half asleep, but my spirit was fully awake, and these words were pouring out of my heart:

Father, I know that You are calling me to a new level...and here I am.

Today, I repent for not having given the call much importance.

I've been complacent, allowed myself to be side-tracked... I repent, my Father.

This call is precious, but lately I've not given it much thought. Please forgive me.

Today, I determine to put You first.


There was a brief silence then this verse floated into my heart: Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.

I looked up the rest of what Paul wrote in that passage.

And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things.

Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.

Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty.

Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.

But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

(1 Corinthians 9:25-27)


I'm not a runner but I knew exactly what Paul was talking about.

Determination. Perseverance. Commitment. Discipline.

Years ago I have determined that I will not be a half-baked believer of Jesus Christ.

But these past months I have seen myself slowing down.

What has happened these past months can't be fully explained. Maybe I got weary and drained in the midst of false accusation. I don't know. Maybe discouragement set in, a thought that told me, "What's the use?"

But I have sensed a growing lack of determination on my part.

So it did not really surprise me to wake up to that conversation yesterday morning. Sooner or later I knew I would have to toe the line again, and go back to my First Love.

God was calling me back to kingdom living.


I turned my Bible to the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5 - 7, and once again I was reminded of of the whole new dimension that Jesus was calling me to...the kingdom dimension.

Jesus came to earth for one reason - to show the way back to the Father. He was passionate about the Kingdom of Heaven. He lived and died for it.

But Jesus did not merely talk about kingdom dynamics, He walked it. Yes, the Kingdom of God was the very heartbeat of Jesus.

And so He admonishes us to seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness... and all the things that we need shall be added unto us.

I have always loved these gentle words of Jesus as recorded by Luke:

Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure
to give you the kingdom.

- Luke 12:32

That morning, I tucked those beautiful words inside my heart. I prayed, Yes, dear Father, today I will live my life as a kingdom person.


My friend Eileen and I had planned on attending a bread making demonstration yesterday . Having made a fresh commitment to live anew as kingdom person just a few hours earlier, I was ready to look at life from a new perspective.

On my way to the Royal Am Rei Hotel where the baking demo was to be held, my heart was full, ready for new things.

Then it happened.

During lunch my lower orthodontic retainers broke. As far back as I can remember, I've had bad teeth. At fifteen years of age, I was already having regular visits to the dentist, for root canal...for cavity fillings... for tooth extractions.

I don't really want to go into details about my dental woes. Suffice it to say that I really needed those retainers.

There I was, learning how to make bread all afternoon, but deep inside my heart was sinking. By the time I got home in the evening, I had a low grade spiritual fever: self-pity, hopelessness, sadness, and anxiety were brewing in my heart.

If only I had held on to the words of Luke 12:32 that I read that morning - Fear not, little flock...it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom...

But as it was, I was too self-absorbed, I didn't even remember to pray. After eating a simple dinner of rice, chicken and vegetables, I went to bed.


Looking back now at what happened yesterday, it was nothing more than an enemy attempt to steal my resolve.

But God!

At around 3:30 a.m. this morning, God woke me up... AGAIN!

These words were on my heart as I awoke:

Elijah repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.

Significant words because I knew that to be a kingdom person meant that my altar was intact, not broken down.

At that moment, my faith rose up, and I spent those early pre-dawn hours in the presence of my God, my King.

At 11 a.m. I had an appointment with my dentist. She will have new orthodontic retainers ready for me by Tuesday morning.

Things are falling into place.

Again, it was not about broken retainers and bad teeth.

God was simply calling my attention to something deeper.

My concerns always have something to do about my future. What's in store? What am I supposed to do next? Can my children cope with life?

I have an idea of what my assignment is, but not the specifics.

The unknown territory ahead of me is so vast...

Most of the time I try to hide it, or shrug the what ifs off. Pretend it isn't there.

But the truth is that there's fear lurking at the back of my mind.


My daughter, can you trust Me in this? God asks.


He is pointing to my altar that has been neglected.

Yes, I need to be about my Father's business again. And trust Him with my life again, at another level.

The Kingdom of God is all about His rule, and His reign in the nitty-gritty, everyday details of my life. Not so much in the big things, but in the little things where it is so easy to lose sight of what really matters.

My Father's kingdom is all encompassing - He is King over all, or not at all!

I realize my faith needs to be empowered...and allowed to operate at a higher level.

God knows I have never given up in my faith journey. But I must confess that there are times that I've gotten so used to thinking Christian, I am no longer aware that my faith was slowly being taken for granted.

And the Father wants to make sure that we are never stuck in a rut, a comfortable way of doing things where our faith is never challenged, or tested.

Being a kingdom person means trusting Him for every step I take, being bold in what I believe about His kingdom reign.

He is King over all, or not at all.

His sovereignty can never be questioned.

I need to have the determination to keep walking, to keep faith alive when the end of the road is nowhere to be seen.

To keep at it. To not give up. To never let go of His hand.

To me, being a kingdom person means being an intentional disciple: having a long obedience in the same direction.

I don't know what the future holds, but I will trust God. Regardless.

That is how the Christian life is lived: regardless.

Regardless of circumstances, opposition, feelings, discouragements, and hardships.

Regardless of emotions, put-downs, doubts, and obstacles.

Day by day, one step at a time, persevering to the end.


from Joe McKeever, A Long Obedience

Kingdom living is all about trusting the King.



Father, I offer my life to You as a living sacrifice on the altar.

It's not about my life, or my security, or how I want my life to turn out.

It's not about my plans.

It's all about You, Your rule, Your reign.

It's all about trusting You.

I want to live my life as a kingdom person...

Run the race without holding anything back.

As I take each step of obedience, You will light the way.

And You will never let go of my hand.



Some parting thoughts: Salvation is free, but it is not cheap. So is discipleship, it is costly. Jesus extends the invitation: Come, follow Me. Am I willing to pay the high price to be His disciple?

Run! by Ray Vander Laan