Build His Kingdom, Not Yours - by Tammy Bowman

I’ve been reading the Old Testament and just finished the book of Deuteronomy. In the past, this has not been a favorite book of mine or one that I read through with much enthusiasm! However, this time God has opened my eyes to read some really awesome stuff that has been influencing me daily and I’d like to share a couple of my recent “discoveries.”

We are in the midst of preparing for our annual 180 Conference at Redeemer UMC in DeWitt which is filled with busyness, a little stress, and a lot of excitement. We are always amazed and humbled by this opportunity to connect with other churches and share ideas with them. It is our hope to offer practical advice, encouragement, and motivation to help pastors and church leaders face change with faith and unity.  Reading in Deuteronomy has helped to prepare me for the 180 Conference, but it has also shown me how to shift the focus of my life as a Christian to focus more on God and less on me.

“But go up to Pisgah Peak, and look, but you may not cross the Jordan River. Instead, commission Joshua and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead the people across the Jordan. He will give them all the land you now see before you as their possession.” Deuteronomy 3:27-28 NLT

I read this over and over and kept thinking “how could Moses do that?” How can he look at this awesome place, the place God had been leading him and the Israelites for so long, and know that he was never going there? He was never going to step foot on that land. He was never going to taste anything from the land that flows with milk and honey. He was not going to experience what it was like for the Israelites to receive that land God promised.  And Moses still had to commission Joshua. Moses had to encourage Joshua.  Moses had to strengthen Joshua.  God basically told Moses you can look but you can’t touch.  On top of that, He told him to teach another guy everything he knows so he can lead the people into the Promised Land.  How could Moses have brought himself to do that?

How can we do that? How can we as Christians do things that God has called us to do even when we might not get to experience the end result? How can churches continue to want to change and grow to reach people outside its walls when they might not be around to see it actually grow?  This is where I learned from Moses…it’s not about us at all, it’s all about God! It doesn’t matter what we think is right or fair or what we think we deserve or are entitled to. Moses had an amazing gift to lead and teach the Israelites. He could have kept that all to himself and had a pity party about not getting to enjoy the end of the journey, but he didn’t. He was full of all this wonderful knowledge and experience and he responded with humility to train the next leader. It shouldn’t ever be about getting people to depend on us for spiritual growth, but for us to help others become dependent upon God.   God’s plan is so much bigger than anything I can imagine, so for me to do things just based on the results I may or may not see in my lifetime is so ridiculous. We are called to build His Kingdom here on earth and to trust Him at all times, even knowing we won’t get to see or experience the end result.