But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here,  and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.”  When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil.
Acts 17:5-8

Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
John 18:36

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Last year, my husband did a round of chemotherapy, a round of radiation, underwent an extensive surgery, and has been considered cancer-free since. We can’t measure the answered prayers or the gratitude we’ve felt at the end of each check-up when we hear things are still all clear. Throughout this journey, we’ve heard many amazing—sometimes miraculous—stories of recovery and healing, and we’re grateful every day to be counted among them. 

After an experience like cancer, some people completely change their lives—selling everything and living on a boat, for example. Many, including my husband, navigate a lifelong change in health, a price he’s happy to pay in a cancer-free scenario. For us, there was a paradigm shift, a fundamental change in how we look at time, our appreciation of it, and how we spend it. Our perspective on time changed forever. We do much of the same things we did before, we both work where we worked and live where we lived, and things in our world still run the same. But we’re different. When we make decisions, our perspective and often the outcome, are very different than before facing a cancer diagnosis.

In today’s Scripture passage, the Jews in Thessalonica jealously guarded their understanding of the law. They created a riot by accusing Jesus’ followers of upsetting the world order by saying that there is another king, Jesus. Jesus’ message does upend the world’s order—not by claiming earthly territories but by addressing the underlying human condition and overthrowing the forces of evil that hold us captive. Jesus faced the same accusation of sedition and replied, “My kingdom is not of this world,” (John 18:36). 

Following Jesus required—and still does today—a radical paradigm shift and not everyone was or is for it. And yet, as we’ve seen all through the book of Acts this summer, the Disciples and Paul knew this shift was worth everything—even their lives. 

The same is true for us when we begin following Jesus, that is a paradigm shift. The biggest we’ll ever experience. We may live and work in the same spaces, but our purpose, understanding of life, where our hope comes from, completely changes—we have a Kingdom lens. Suddenly, time on earth isn’t just for time on earth anymore. Instead, we have an eternal Kingdom—our forever home—waiting for us and what we do here impacts it. Every time we share the Gospel, every time we live out an example of Jesus’ love, every time we make a sacrifice of resources or time to support the Gospel, we make Kingdom impact. If we look at life through the Kingdom lens, it can drastically change our impact both on earth and for the Kingdom.

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20, NLT).

Next Steps

I’ve recently been listening to this modern hymn, Yet Not I. I love the line, “For my life is wholly bound to His,”—a true paradigm shift in how we think of our lives once we know who Jesus is. I hope it encourages you, too.

Consider looking through the Kingdom lens when making plans or working through a big decision at home or at work. What can we do differently that would not only impact the earthly outcome, but the Kingdom one?