The Kingdom Centered Mind Archives

Move in the opposite spirit of offense

November 9, 2017 by brianmichaelsteck Leave a Comment

We live in an offended world. My sin nature, passed down spiritually from generation to generation, makes me prone to hostility, indignation, bitterness, judgment and entitlement. I can see it. It’s in my heart. And until the Holy Spirit awoke me to my predisposition to self, I was on a road destined for painful relationships and brokenness. We all are. Yet, the way of God — His intention for his royal priesthood — is that we move towards healing, wholeness, honor and authority. It is critical that we move in the opposite spirit of offense.

My personal journey

In the past year, I’ve walked through three tortuous situations where I was wronged. I had completed high quality work for business clients, who then refused to pay and threatened taking legal action against me without justified reasoning. Despite my efforts to serve and bless these clients, I was left in a financial hole with the threat of litigious lions looming above. I felt stuck, abused and unjustly attacked. I sought legal counsel and they advised me that though I was in the right, a legal battle would cost more than what it was worth, and only leave me worse off than I already was.

These were very difficult seasons for me. I was hurt and I was angry. Thoughts of these clients stir up pain in my heart, and the desire for vengeance — or at best, justice.

Where to turn when injustice has taken it’s toll?

It’s natural to feel sadness, anger and fear. But these emotions, left unbridled, reap disastrous consequences. They turn into bitterness and only add to the hostility that pervades our world today. So what do you do?

Thankfully, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, scripture and Danny Silk’s powerful teaching on Culture of Honor, I’m learning a better way. The idea is this: we are honorable towards others, not because they deserve it, but because of who we are. I choose to honor, because I am honorable.

This frees me from the entitlement towards anger and need for justice. Justice is the Lords — and yes, there will be times when we must plead His throne for justice — but then we must relinquish control of the person who has offended us. Un-forgiveness holds the other person hostage, but ultimately binds us in chains. It’s been described as “drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” While the pain is valid, the resentment only hurts us.

We have to surrender our claim to getting even. We have to let go of our desperate desire for fairness.

Then, we must move forward. Letting go is the first step, but we take ground when we move in the opposite spirit of offense.

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:27-38

My wise grandmother once told me that “you don’t know that you’ve forgiven someone until you think good towards them when their name comes up.” Now that’s releasing someone from their debt!

To oppose the world is to move in the opposite spirit of offense. It’s to go the extra mile, when the first mile was unjust. A good friend and trusted brother often says, “You’re not a slave if you do it of your own free will.” Going the second mile is choosing to serve the one who intends to harm you — it frees you from being their slave, and relinquishes the control they have on your life.

For me, it looked like letting go of my desire to sue. It looked like forgiving the debt. It looked like giving them the work I had completed for free. And you know what? When I returned good for harm, it lifted the weight on my heart.

I’m not sure if I’m at the place of complete forgiveness yet, because their names still carry an air of pain and irritation — but with each memory, I bring the Kingdom of God to this offended world. I advance heaven on earth when I move in the opposite spirit of offense.

A death that brings resurrection

March 26, 2016 by brianmichaelsteck Leave a Comment

The flurry of excitement and activity.

Cursing. Spitting. Angry shouting.

Rushing. Pushing. Tension so thick you grip it with your fingers.

1,983 years ago a 33-year old man was tried unfairly and sentenced to death by public opinion. A perfect life given to die for the very people who crucified it. Through the death of one, life is given to many. What beauty is this?!

Today, there is “stuff” in us that must die: selfish ambition, pride, anxiety, depression, lust, hate… and the list goes on. For some of us, we simply must die to our own will, which refuses to let anyone pay the price that we owe; striving for perfection, we seek to do life our own way. But this is not the way.

For others, we’ve yielded, but we’ve allowed a similar flurry of excitement and activity to distract us from our first love. We’ve neglected the one who rejected all so that we might know Him and be with Him.

Stop.

Quiet yourself. Be still and know… A death that brings resurrection.

Remember that when the crowds dispersed and Christ was alone, laid three days in the darkness the tomb and the agony of hell, that His death brought life and hope, once and for all. And it is through this same death and resurrection that we are called to die, through absolute surrender and baptism, so that all that rushes and curses within us would be calmed, healed and restored.

We serve a King who died for his subjects. We serve a King who doesn’t know what it means to stay dead, but laughs in the face of death. He is risen and calls to all who listen, that He might resurrect both their souls as well as every aspect of their lives. He came that we might have life and have it abundantly. He is risen and He will soon return!

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had[a] a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.

6 Words I Long To Hear

January 30, 2015 by brianmichaelsteck Leave a Comment

In Luke 19:11-27, Jesus tells the parable of Ten Minas, in which a master of noble birth (Himself) goes away to another city (Heaven) to become King and leaves his servants (us) the task of safeguarding and investing money (the Gospel) while He is gone. Upon His return, he speaks 6 words I long to hear:

“Well done, good and faithful servant.”

There is nothing like these words that make my eyes tear up and my heart fill with expectation. To be found faithful by my master is a profound joy and deep desire upon my heart.

How are you investing the “ten minas” that God has given you?

Do you long to hear these same 6 words?

What does it look like to be a faithful servant today?

Who are you investing your “minas” into?

The Wicked Servant

One striking element to me in this passage is the master’s response to the servant who merely maintained his investment. Jesus refers to him as a “wicked servant”. Harsh? Perhaps. Yet, if this is how the master, now King, responds to the servant, it makes me question if we haven’t placed a sufficient weight or priority on putting our experience of The Gospel in our lives to work.

It seems that we, as Christians, are in danger of misappropriating our energy and emphasis. The Gospel must be shared; and a danger that I see in our current society is that, in the United States, we believe we are a “christian nation”. America’s general consensus regarding the Gospel is, “We’ve already heard it and are uninterested,” which only proves that they never heard the Gospel — I know this because the Gospel, in it’s whole truth, is compelling and mind-blowing.

The Gospel

A King made himself a servant, enduring all the earthly pains that we experience. He freely offered himself as a sacrifice, being beaten and tortured on my (and your) behalf, to the point of death on a crucifix. But conquering death, he arose on the third day and re-appeared to hundreds of His followers. With grace and forgiveness, he invited all to be joint heirs in the Kingdom, leaving us with His Holy Spirit. He is returning and His Kingdom is at hand; we are entrusted with the glorious task of being ambassadors of His Kingdom until He returns. Our joy is not heaven and clouds and harps… it’s the mighty embrace of a King who is available to intimately engage on a daily basis and a front-row seat at watching Him bring His Kingdom to earth, one person at a time.

Pain, tears, sin and death are currently all being put in their proper place, as Christ’s footstool. Soon, every knee and every tongue will bow in humble adoration of the true King. There is nothing keeping you from His presence. He wants you, now… completely. He knows you and the darkest secrets of your past and they are not too much for His grace. He has a plan for your life, if you’ll only surrender to your creator — then, He will guide you into the fullness that you were created to be. Not a personality-drained God-robot, but a uniquely created expression of the One True and Holy God.

Really. I’m serious. He has SO MUCH in store for you.

Closing Prayer

“Lord, I pray that our lives would be a demonstration of the Gospel to those around us, but also that you would awaken our spirits to the opportunities around us to be your mouthpiece in gently and diligently guiding seekers into full devotion to Christ… for your namesake and glory!”

“Lead us into a full knowledge of you. We surrender our hearts and our will to you, and trust your plan for our lives. Have your will, that in the end you may be able to speak these words over me, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.'”

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