Prayer isn’t something we squeeze into our agenda.

Prayer is something that squeezes our agenda.

Selah.

The world could be radically changed if every single follower of Jesus lived believing that two things are true.

One, God blesses His children, and two, God blesses through His children.

Guess what? They are.

I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. (‭‭Genesis‬ ‭12:2‬ ‭NIV, emphasis mine)

What God promised the man who would be the father of the faith is still true for all of us in the faith today. You and I are blessed, which means that in every situation we find ourselves, we have something from God to share with others.

It could be money, or time, or a kind word, or a smile. Perhaps the scripture you read earlier in the day is the truth you needed to share with someone in a tough situation? The point is that God promised to bless us, and the blessing isn’t off in the distance. If you’re breathing, you’re blessed.

How would circumstances change if you and I stepped into them confident that we had something to give and were willing to give it? I thought about that last night as our family ate in a short-staffed restaurant, and we watched our server running between tables, smiling the whole time. She was in a tough situation, and yet she was blessing the people at her tables with kindness.

At the end of the meal, it was our turn. We intentionally place margin in our family budget so that we can be generous when we sense God prompting us. Why? Because if number one above is true, then we need to live out the truth of the second statement, too. We need to be vessels of blessing.

You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. (‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭9:11‬ ‭NIV, emphasis mine)

If we have extra (whether intentionally through budgeting or unintentionally through a blessing), then God has enriched us so that we can be generous. I wanted to see our server’s face when she got the nearly 150% tip we left, but that wasn’t the point. I thought that maybe we should write some kind of Jesus-y thing on the bill or leave a tract, but that felt forced. So, I wrote three simple words on the receipt — “You were AWESOME!” — and then we walked out.

Because we’re blessed to be a blessing (Genesis 12:2), and because when we bless it results in God being thanked (2 Corinthians 9:11), I have no doubt that when she saw the words of blessing and the tip of generosity, she mouthed the words, “Thank God.”

Today, you’ve got blessings to bring to the table, but don’t settle for just bringing them. Give them, too, and watch people change.

Tucked away in the middle of a speech that Jesus gave about his cousin, John the Baptist, is a verse that has inspired some, and confused many. Take a peek at how various translations have rendered it, and you’ll begin to see why:

“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been treated violently, and violent men take it by force.” (Matthew‬ ‭11:12‬ ‭NASB)

“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it.” (Matthew‬ ‭11:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been suffering violence, and the violent have been seizing it by force.” (Matthew‬ ‭11:12‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

“From the moment John stepped onto the scene until now, the realm of heaven’s kingdom is bursting forth, and passionate people have taken hold of its power.” (Matthew‬ ‭11:12‬ ‭TPT‬‬)

“And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people are attacking it.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:12‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

Is the Kingdom violent? Are Jesus followers supposed to be militant? Are we being attacked or are we supposed to attack? What about loving our neighbors? Our enemies?

All good questions that I don’t have good answers for, and yet I think they all tend to miss this one point: the Kingdom advances intentionally.

As followers of Jesus, there isn’t really a neutral. He said we’re either for Him or against Him; we’re gathering or scattering. May I add to that? We’re either shifting or we’re drifting.

I believe that when Jesus called us salt and light, He intended for us to shift atmospheres and cultures. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it or understand it (John 1:5). That means that His light through us influences the darkness.

But only if we’re actively, or — as Jesus said in that confusing verse — forcefully advancing. Being intentional about where our light shines. Making sure that our light isn’t hidden under a bushel, NO!

Because if we aren’t intentionally shifting, we’ll find ourselves unintentionally drifting.

Farther from the places and the people He sent us to.

Farther from the mission and the mandate He called us to.

If this global pandemic has taught us nothing else, it is this: shifting takes effort and energy, and when we aren’t able to give either, drifting is the unintended consequence.

The good news is that an unintentional drift can be stopped with an intentional shift back into gear. Maybe you need to push the cloth in and shift out of neutral. May I encourage you to do it sooner rather than later? There is a kingdom advancing, and you have a part to play in it.

Shift out of the drift, and get back in the race.