The kingdom of heaven is like yeast, which a woman took and hid in a bushel of wheat flour until the yeast had worked its way through all the dough.
Matthew 13:33 CEB
As a teenager, I could think of nothing cooler than playing the electric guitar. Those growling chords and howling leads sounded like something from another world. So I was a little underwhelmed the first time I slammed down on the strings to produce a noise that was weak and out of tune.
This probably should go without saying, but electric guitars need to be plugged into an amplifier to create that signature forceful sound. Hacking away at the strings only compromises pitch and tonal quality—all the power of the instrument comes from the electric current passing through it.
The same is true for God’s kingdom. When Christians behave aggressively, lashing out with tantrums at those around us, it compromises our testimony. It sours the sweet story of God’s unfailing love for the world. Instead, we are called to live peaceable lives and proclaim the gospel with gentleness and humility. All the power we will ever need comes from the Holy Spirit who energizes our message and ministers to the hearts of those we connect with.
Oh Lord, give us patience. Help us wait for your kingdom to spread throughout this world in your perfect timing. Amen.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. We plan to post a weekly devotional and a monthly topical reflection AND we want to be as interactive as possible. Please share your thoughts and questions—we’d be thrilled to hear from you!