Kingdom Building

Reflection 47 from Matters of the Heart, a series of Orthodox reflections on faith and life.

‘For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.’ – 1 Corinthians 3:9

See Also:

1 Samuel 14:35 and 1 Samuel 15:12

One must constantly examine themselves to see for whom they are toiling, and whose kingdom they are building. Are you one of God’s fellow workers, labouring for the glory of His heavenly kingdom, or are you busying yourself building an earthly empire which will one day come to pass?

Consider Saul, for as the king of God’s people, he began his reign in honour of the Lord, and laboured to lead the Israelites to do what is pleasing to their God. The young king was at work building God’s kingdom, for “Saul”, we are told, “built an altar to the Lord”. But not long after, Saul began to lose sight of God, looking inwards he finds another idol worthy of adoration and “sets up a monument for himself”.

If we don’t dedicate ourselves to the work of God, we will soon find ourselves toiling to please the ego. And when we are not building altars to God and labouring for the Kingdom, we are erecting monuments for ourselves.

Prayer

May Your Heavenly Kingdom continually be before my eyes in order that I may labour for that which shall never perish.

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