Kingdom Quality

Read: Matthew 13:31-33

The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough. Matthew 13:33

IN WORD

Research on Christianity’s positive impact on society isn’t yet extensive, but it’s beginning to show how profoundly cultures have been shaped by the Christian message and the missionaries who have spread it around the world. Democracies and prospering societies have been forged on the values embedded in Christian truth, though a skeptical world hardly recognizes the fact. Where Christ is preached and taught, things like freedom, education, meaning, compassion, and growth follow. As with imperceptible yeast mixed into an enormous mass of dough, the whole loaf is affected.

That’s how God designed the world to work. Not only has the Kingdom been increasing in number; it has been increasing in influence. We may not be able to determine exactly how—the mechanisms of influence are hard to discern—but His Spirit has a way of infiltrating the earth through His people. We are told that God’s glory will cover the earth, and one way of accomplishing that will surely be through His people. As we go into the world carrying truth, hope, and the presence of God, society is renewed and restored. We may not know the timing of the process, and we may not see the evidence at first. We may even see wholesale rejection of our message. But that won’t stop the spread of truth. The influence of the Kingdom can’t be quenched.

Most kingdoms influence from the top down, forcing matters by government decree. God’s Kingdom is meant to come from underneath, from the humble, often-unnoticed servants of others who instill values rather than enforce them. The simple truth is enough to bless the world and glorify God.

IN DEED

You have more influence than you think. It may be hidden from your eyes, but it’s there. If you carry the truth within you and live it out in this world, you are a force for restoration. Live the culture of the Kingdom, and the culture will influence all others around it.

ADDITIONAL READING: Matthew 5:13-16

Blessed is the influence of one true, loving human soul on another.

GEORGE ELIOT