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Here's Your Solution To Everything
Brian Mashburn
July 1, 2007
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The Solution To Everything
So, according to Colossians, Kingdom citizens don't do sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, idolatry, anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language, or lies.
What does that leave Kingdom citizens to do?
For example, in so much of our parenting, we spend lots of energy telling our children what to "stop" and "don't" and "quit". But few have been clothed with a lifestyle that effectively shares with our children what to "begin" and "do" and "continue". Quite frankly, if we really gave our energy to this (discarding our really legit excuses as to why we don't), there would be little time and energy left for our children to spend on the "don'ts".
Same for Kingdom citizens. If we just really gave our energy to expressing the "Kingdom Do's" of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with each other, forgiving whatever grievances you may have, love, peacefulness, and thankfulness...we wouldn't have one second of time, nor one ounce of energy left over to expend in the "don'ts".
And while we are "growing up" into these "Kingdom Do's", we do not have the excuse of childhood to blame our insufficiency at doing (or becoming) these things.
Hear me loud and clear. You are constantly in the perfect environment to grow up into becoming a master at this Kingdom way of living.
Think about it. I challenge you to voice one complaint in any arena of life that this list of Kingdom activities does not solve. Living out the "Kingdom Do's" is your only way to have a taste of the answer to Jesus' model prayer that asks God for things "to be here on earth as it is in Heaven."
This list is a description of how Jesus lived. This list is your answer to everything. Go ahead, try anything else. It brings death. This list brings life...because it's Christ.