Every Monday in July, I will be sharing a different mindset that has helped me pursue God’s call on my life. In this blog, I’ll be talking about what it means to have a kingdom mindset.
In Christian circles, we throw around the word ‘Kingdom’ a lot. We talk about building wealth for the Kingdom and doing things with a Kingdom mindset, but what does that really mean? I didn’t critically ask myself this question until several decades into my faith journey. At that point, I had stopped being a pastor and was well on my way into retirement. Out of curiosity, I called up two pastors I knew and asked them question after question about the Kingdom. They came from completely different denominations than I did, which was perfect because I needed a fresh perspective. The pastors had very insightful things to say, but one verse in particular really jumped out at me. Right after Jesus encourages the crowd around Him not to worry, He says,
“Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you,” (Matthew 6:33).
All my life, I read that verse as “Seek God first” or “Seek Jesus first.” However, the Kingdom distinction makes all the difference. Of course, when we seek the Kingdom we are seeking God, but more specifically we are seeking His will in the earth. It’s not about us as individuals—it’s about the whole world.
[Related: You Are Not in Control]
The Gospel of Salvation + The Gospel of the Kingdom
I came to faith at a time when the gospel of salvation was all the rage. The gospel of salvation preaches that anyone who believes that Jesus is the Son of God is saved, born again, and will go to heaven when they die. It is absolutely necessary. However, without the gospel of the Kingdom, the gospel of salvation is limited. The gospel of the Kingdom preaches on the powerful things we can do with our faith while we’re living in human form.
A failure to grasp the gospel of the Kingdom is why so many churches today are stuck within their four walls. They don’t actually engage with culture to make an impact. Someone with a Kingdom mindset cares about the poor, needy, and brokenhearted. They devote their lives to the service of others. They aren’t viewed as self-righteous or hypocritical because they’re too busy loving others. Someone with a Kingdom mindset will also recklessly abandon anything for the sake of the gospel. They realize that following the voice of the Holy Spirit is the most important thing (Matthew 13:44).
When it comes to the Gospel of Salvation and the Gospel of the Kingdom, it’s not an either or—it’s a both and. Jesus illustrates this when He encourages his disciples to pray
“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,” (Matthew 6:10).
We need a paradigm shift. As the Body of Christ, the mission of our lives must be to enact this kingdom culture in the earth. Bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to earth looks different for everyone. It is an expression of one’s relationship to God and their desire to enact His will. So, I can’t tell you exactly what this means for you—you have to seek it out for yourself. However, there is a blueprint that can help.
[Related: How to Integrate Your Faith, Work, and Finances]
The 7 Mountains
The 7 Mountains are a framework we have for thinking about God’s Kingdom in the earth. Essentially, the 7 mountains are representative of the primary spheres of culture. They are religion, business, government, family, education, media, and the arts. There is a spiritual battle for influence in these mountains, and as the Body of Christ, we have to be aware of it. The goal is to reform every area of culture with Kingdom principles so that the world will taste and see that the Lord is good.
In my opinion, right now the family, education system, media, and arts mountains have the influence over culture. The messages coming out of these areas dictate what people value, think, and believe. The government and business mountains are the control centers. They create the laws and regulate the flow of money, so having kingdom-minded Christians active in this area is extremely powerful. Right now, as you can see in the diagram below, the Church is on the same playing field as the rest of the mountains. However, in order for the kingdom to exist on earth as it does in heaven, the Church needs to be above the rest of the mountains. I’m not saying we should implement a theocracy, but Christian influence should be permeating every sphere.
We are Pioneers
“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2).
Jesus calls us into new territory. So, discipleship to Jesus looks like diving into uncomfortable situations in an effort to bring the Kingdom of Heaven into unfamiliar spaces. Scripture encourages us in the fact that we have everything we need to answer this call (Colossians 2:10).
I believe that we are on the cusp of the 3rd Great Awakening. God desperately wants to reform all areas of culture, and He wants to do it through the Body of Christ—you and me. We have to wake up to the fact that our lives are not about us anymore…they’re about the Kingdom.
Creating a Kingdom culture may seem like a daunting or even impossible task. Instead of getting discouraged, focus on what you can do.
- Adopt a Kingdom mindset. Realize that you are on mission with God every single day!
- Find scripture about the Kingdom of God (Matthew 13 is a great chapter) and meditate on the meaning.
- Begin to pray about how you can implement Kingdom principles in your workplace.
- Know what ‘mountain’ you are most equipped to serve in right now. For me, that area is Business. At different times, my focus has been on the Church and Family mountain. Those are still very important to me, however, now that I’m not pastoring and my children are grown, I direct more attention to transforming the Business mountain. Everything is connected, so the work I do in the Business mountain inevitably affects other areas as well!
- Realize that you were born for such a time as this (Esther 4:14.) You have something unique to bring to the table that our culture desperately needs.
I hope this blog has encouraged you. What does having a Kingdom mindset mean to you? Let me know in the comments!
Thank you for this!
Thank you for reading, Odaisha!
Such a blessing to be encouraged to step out with what God has called me to. I’ve been in real estate for 15 years but never given the time to really grow it because I concentrated more on raising our three children. They are grown and pretty much on their own now, The transition from mom to business woman has been a little daunting, but the Lord continues to direct my footsteps. Looking forward to what direction He leads me to.
We are excited for your journey and will be praying for you, Patricia! Change is daunting, but the Lord will lead you. He has great plans for this season of your life.
I really enjoyed reading this article as I have thought more and more in recent times about what being Kingdom Minded really means. I was curious to know if Mr.. Epperhart has any plans to write a book on the subject.?
Hey David! Thank you for reading…Billy does have a desire to write a book with that subject as a theme, but no plans at the time being!
I want to be about my Father’s business. I dont know where to start but i feel the tug in my heart. I know God will speak to me. I know He has an assignment for me.
Thank you for being such a blessing.
We will be praying for your journey, Emily!
Thanks and praises to God Almighty for using you to impact my life on this journey of faith. May God continue to bless you with good health, wisdom, and success in your ministry, Amen.
Thank you so much for that blessing. We appreciate you!
Thank you , have so enjoyed your kingdom mindsets these past two weeks,I am looking forward to the rest of the month.
All the best to you and your team.
Thanks for this message about the Kingdom of God .However there is a lot to do in the Body of Jesus Christ .MY ASSIGNMENT IS TO DELIVER AND TRANSFORM COMMUNITIES FROM POVERTY ,DEBT AND CONFLICT THROUGH TEACHINGS, TRAININGS AND EQUIPPING
Amen, amen and amen! I teach people to walk in Kingdom authority and to bring heaven to earth, but I don’t think I have used this verse to emphasize that truth! Thank you!
My personal challenge is to daily lay down distractions of the enemy (even the “good” things) in order to renew my mind, walk in the Spirit, and take hold of all the promises of the Kingdom that transform my life and the world!
“And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of the heavens is taken by violence and the violent seize it,” (Matthew 11:12).
May we all become violent against the lies and the works of the demonic, not ever giving in to their agenda so that we see the agenda of God – the will of God – take place in our lives and in the lives we touch all over the world!
Thanks, Billy!! Great encouragement!
That is good content Julie! Thank you for your support of Billy & Becky. I agree–it’s hard to stay in step with the Spirit all of the time…we are a work in progress, and God is so gracious to us!
Powerful stuff. Thank you so much
What an encouraging word, and in such perfect timing!
It is truly all about bringing His Kingdom to every moment in each day, and letting Him show us how to love everyone we have the privilege to “sit with”.
Thank you for this article, and for speaking such truth into our culture. I pray this brings a new passion to those who may have been feeling a little stuck.
Thank you so much for reading, Aubrey! That’s great encouragement 🙂
Very enlightening and motivating.
We really have a task to accomplish.
This message is such a blessing, timely and very insightful
What does having a Kingdom mindset mean to me?
To have an understanding of how God wants to partner with me to make a difference in the sphere of influence (based on the mountain(s) He identified for me to steward with excellence.
For me it is education and family in the area of those who do not have sufficient access to adequate resources in these areas.
Also business in my area by starting to encourage and inspire an entrepreneurship-mentality in children.
I am studying Early Childhood Development through Love Trust and see the vision of making a difference in children’s lives who does not have access to resources.
This may mean establishing vegetable gardens and other sustainable ways of income creation on a ECD premises…..
God shows, speaks and directs and I follow…. Amen thank you Jesus
This is wonderful insight, Grete. Thank you for sharing a bit of your journey with us. Our team will keep you and your family in our prayers!