The sun rises each morning regardless of the ups and downs in our personal story. And this is a daily reminder that God’s wisdom does not wait on the events of our life to unfold. As Christ said, his kingdom is not of this world, which gives us tremendous hope as we face the many triumphs and tragedies that come our way.
On the one hand, we cannot avoid the drama of this life. And naturally we get invested in wanting certain outcomes over the other. But ultimately our hope should remain in Christ and his kingdom alone. As such, this gives us freedom to participate in the events of this world – sports, entertainment, politics, and the like, without assuming our life depends on them.
Whether or not our team wins or loses their next game does not impact the work God is doing, and should not impact our practice of love either. And while the consequences of an election are weightier from a human perspective, these too don’t remove God from his throne or negate the calling he has given us.
God’s kingdom is not of this world. It has its own economy and mission that supersedes all the smaller stories of this life. And this allows us to hold the events of this life in their proper place. Our wins and losses must be viewed in light of eternity and not our momentary excitement or grief.
Of course, this doesn’t require us to be stoic or otherwise apathetic as stories unfold in this life. But there is a benevolent detachment that frees us from over-identifying with the outcomes of this world – resting confidently in the grace and hope of God’s kingdom.
In the end, freely participate in the events of this life while keeping them in their proper place. God’s kingdom is not of this world which gives us a confident hope the sun will still rise tomorrow regardless of whatever ups and downs we might face today.
Photo by Corey Agopian on Unsplash
