Inside-out, Upside-down and Backwards

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
Ezekiel 16:26

We who are followers of Jesus are being transformed from the inside-out as our hearts and minds are being made new by the work of the Holy Spirit. We need this transformation to live and fulfill our purposes in the kingdom of God. Why must we be changed in such a drastic way? Because God’s kingdom is so radically different from the one we find ourselves living in the midst of. 

In our world, leaders live in “ivory towers” and wield money and power like weapons to get more money and power at the expense of others. In God’s kingdom, leaders are servants who wash feet and give generously to others. In our world - pride, selfishness, pleasure, vengeance, hopelessness and inequality can be seen as marks of success. Not so in the kingdom of God, here humility, selflessness, self-denial, forgiveness and equality are marks of holy lives that bring glory to God. In our world violence is the means to solving all sorts’ problems. In God’s kingdom love and compassion resolve conflict. 

The citizens of God’s kingdom must live radically different lives, lives that go against the current, are dissatisfied with the status quo and are filled with peace even in the midst of trial and pain. This incredible kingdom where one day there will be no more tears or pain is upside-down and backwards when compared to what we witness every day and we must be transformed from the inside-out to really live the life God intended for us. 

There is more to life than the dark world we see, if we allow our hearts to be replaced and we step into His upside-down and backwards kingdom.

A Prayer
Father, thank you for giving us glimpses of Your kingdom in this world. Help us to let You work in our hearts and minds so we can see more and more of Your kingdom. Help us in times of difficulty to allow others to see Your kingdom in our lives. Thank you for the transforming work of Your Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus, Amen