I recently read a book by Shane Hipps called "Selling Water by the River" and in it he uses a simple but extremely helpful digital depiction of value and priorities. 0000001 and 100000 are identical in virtually every aspect except their order and this has a tremendous impact on value. I could add a limitless amount of 0’s to the front end of ‘0000001’ and its ultimate value would never increase. I could add a single 0 to the end and it would increase tenfold to ‘00000010’. If I added a single 0 to the end of ‘1000000’ I would go from 1 million to 10 million in value, another tenfold increase. Order means everything when it comes to numerical value.
Order also means everything when it comes to eternal Kingdom values. I think most Christians are plenty familiar with the following passage:
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."—Matthew 6:33
The overwhelming topic throughout Jesus’ teaching ministry was the Kingdom of God. In word and in deed he exemplified what this Kingdom looks like in practical ways. When Jesus talks in Matthew 5 about how to respond when insulted by a slap to the face, someone taking your cloak, or someone forcing you to go one mile, he is not giving examples that we do not see himself doing in his own earthly life.
"The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they struck him in the face."--John 19:2-3
"When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom."--John 19:23
"Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha)."--John 19:17
Jesus was insulted and mocked. His clothes were stolen and gambled away. After being beat and whipped he was forced to carry his own cross until someone else is forced to carry it for him in the other gospels. Jesus’ teachings carry weight and Kingdom values are of the utmost importance.
Let’s revisit the digital example for a bit. The Kingdom is represented by the ‘1’ in both 0000001 and 1000000. The zeroes can be representative of numerous things but I’ll stick with 6 ‘0’s like the example so here are 6 options: spouse, kids, work, friends, hobbies, ministry/church. It is significant that these items are represented by a zero. They hold no intrinsic value of their own. They derive their value only by what precedes it or takes precedence. Whenever these items are placed before the Kingdom they add no value to our lives. The role of creation is to, as Matt Chandler frequently says, "roll up in thanksgiving to our Creator." If, however, the things that God created become an end in themselves, they will consistently fail to satisfy. When added to the front of the line they are never able to actually fulfill ones life and that is why there are many people who live with a continual drive for more. They want more money, more toys, and more relationships simply because the ones that they have aren’t enough to satisfy completely. And they never will when they are placed in a role they were not created for in the first place. But by adding these items after the Kingdom value of '1' there is tenfold growth and fulfillment. The Kingdom injects meaning, purpose and value into our marriages, our parenting, our jobs and even into our hobbies.
The hard part is knowing how to move something that has improperly been in front of the Kingdom to its proper place after the Kingdom? This can be tough especially if something has been an empty idol for any length of time. I think there are a couple questions that might be helpful in making that transition. What kind of Kingdom value would I like to see manifested in my marriage, in my kids, in my job? Fill in the last part with whatever priority you think needs to be reordered and think about what kind of Kingdom value you feel needs to be reflected better in that particular area. I think this is a good starting point because it gets you looking at that particular area with more focus and has you evaluating how things are currently. If things are out of sorts there’s a good chance it’s because it’s out of order.
Now that you’re looking at that area of your life you may be ready for a follow up question. How can I help my spouse/children/job/hobby be used for Kingdom purposes? This goes beyond simply injecting Kingdom values into our lives like the first question and instead injects our lives into the Kingdom. I think you can see certain degrees of improvement when we add the Kingdom to certain aspects of our lives but I don’t think it is anything lasting. I also don’t think it encompasses enough because one might be encouraged to add Kingdom values only to certain parts of their lives. The entirety of our lives needs to be placed within a Kingdom lifestyle and united with Kingdom purposes.
The order of priority is clear and the math is simple. A life that is ordered with our Creator and His Kingdom at the front of the line is abundantly more fulfilling than a life which places the created things of this world before it's Creator. Today starts the season of Lent and perhaps you may find a way to incorporate Kingdom values into how you observe this particular season. They say it takes 40 days to start a new habit or quit an old one. Maybe you are trying to give up smoking or make scripture reading a daily habit. Whatever it is try to unite it with Kingdom purposes and you just may find a bit more success in your venture! Best of luck and God bless!
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