Kingdom vs. Empire

In the book of Psalms there’s a refrain about what the inbreaking kingdom of God would be like: Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne (Ps 89:14, 97:2). Sometimes when we think of Advent and start heading towards Christmas, we get caught up in our world’s emphasis on empire instead of scripture’s emphasis on kingdom.

Empire is all about using power to get what you want - often at the expense of others. But the kingdom is all about justice and righteousness. Justice being the wise use of power to lift up the downtrodden, and righteousness is all about staying in right relationship with God along the way. These foundations of the coming King’s throne are very different than how the empires of this world (and of our own hearts!) work.

Pause and listen in for God inviting you away from empire and into the kingdom. And what might it look like to lean more into the kingdom today? (Be cautious of using guilt against yourself to motivate change)