How to Be a Kingdom BuilderSample

Weep for Your Enemy

You and I see the world mostly from our own perspective. We judge people and circumstances based on what we feel, need or want, or on how we want to be seen.

But when we read God’s Word, it’s as though He’s inviting us up into heaven’s balcony to see the view from His perspective. And when we see life through His eyes, the world starts to make sense. 

We saw previously in this plan how David’s whole perspective on a life-and-death struggle with King Saul was this: God owns Israel. It’s His Kingdom. He appoints the king, and if He wants to remove Saul and replace him with me, well, He’s going to have to do it.

Remember what David said to Saul when he could have killed him:

“May the Lord therefore be judge, and give sentence between me and you. May he see to it, and plead my cause, and vindicate me against you.” – 1 Samuel 24:15 (NRSV)

Our normal attitude towards an enemy is self-promotion, because we’re more interested in self than in God. But David was more interested in God’s will, God’s decisions, God’s Kingdom, so he left it up to God.

That’s how you can tell a Kingdom-builder from an empire-builder. It’s a person who is prepared to suffer loss on their own part for the sake of gain for God’s Kingdom. 

Another mark of a Kingdom-builder is how they treat their enemies. Do they weep over the pain and loss and suffering of their enemies or not?

Eventually, Saul was killed in battle. God did, in fact, judge and act against Saul and his house, in order to promote David and his house.

Now, think about how you would respond in David’s shoes. Saul’s been trying to hunt you down and kill you, and the message comes to you that Saul is dead.

Would you heave a sigh of relief? Would you run Saul down and feel vindicated? He deserved everything he got. See, God’s finally found in my favor. I was right all along! You might even celebrate!

All pretty natural reactions, I’d have thought. But take a look at how David reacted in 2 Samuel chapter 1. David mourned Saul’s death. Now there’s a heart after God. There’s a man who’s a true Kingdom-builder, rather than an empire-builder.

There’s a man after God’s own heart.

Life Application Questions

• What’s your perspective in your day-to-day life? Are you seeing the world through your own eyes? How would it make a difference in your life if you began to see things from God’s perspective?
• Ask God to begin opening your eyes to see things the way He does, day by day.   
• How can you begin to give your circumstances, challenges, and relationships up to God—and trust Him to deal with them?

Pray with me: Father God, I know that I can’t change my actions until I change my heart. And I know that there are some things so deeply ingrained in me that I simply cannot change myself. But You can, as you bring Your Word to life in my heart. So dear Lord, please make me a person after Your own heart.

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