6. Can you move past your failures? You are in charge of the kingdom, so your mistakes are magnified. When you mess up it’s a gigantic deal. It’s of epic proportions. When the kingdom is all about you, God’s grace seems like a fairy tale. It’s too hard to grasp because we magnify our mistakes.
7. Do you spend lots of time worrying about temporary things? When it’s your kingdom you do whatever you can to hold on to your stuff. It’s yours. When something breaks it’s a big deal. When you lose something it’s monumental. Temporary things should be thought about but not obsessed about. There is nothing wrong with having stuff, unless your stuff has you.
8. Is it difficult to ask for help? The king or queen of the kingdom doesn’t seek help. That would be too humiliating. You can overcome any situation. Even though you haven’t, you will. One day. It would just be too embarrassing to seek help.
9. What are you addicted to? The average American has $7,000 in credit card debt. Why? Because we have to have what we want now. We deserve it. Addictions are simply obsessions with ourselves. Whether it’s porn, food, alcohol or some other addiction, at the end of the day it screams we are more concerned with our temporary happiness than an eternal reward.
10. Do you primarily pray when you need something? The main time that you think about God is when you need something. When your world falls apart. When you need him to come through. When life is good God takes a back seat. Why? Because you are in charge. This is your kingdom. Jesus says, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst” (Luke 17:20b–21). This phrase “the kingdom of God is in your midst” has been debated by lots of people. I think Jesus meant his kingdom is not going to look like other kingdoms. The kingdom that Jesus ushered in said things like “the first shall be last and the last shall be first.” It said things like “love your enemies and pray for those that persecute you.” It said things like “I do not condemn you.” Jesus’ kingdom wouldn’t look like other kingdoms. It isn’t a kingdom built with stone. It’s a movement that cannot be contained by walls. It’s not something that is just for one type of person. It’s for anyone. And here’s the crazy thing about the Kingdom of God. You don’t go to it. It comes to you. And you can take it everywhere you go.
Excerpted from You Misspelled Christian: How to Bring Heaven to Your Current Circumstances
