Let's Build the Kingdom

Haggai 1:3-9 

Then the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet,"Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes. "Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the LORD. You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.

Think of a rich businessman who went abroad to a far country, and is running investments in Uganda. Since we are living in a global village, through technology, this man can send money, give instructions, monitor his investments, but has one limitation; he can not accomplish any task that requires his physical presence in Uganda. Hence, he needs people on ground that he can trust to do what has to be done, as though he were present. For that reason, he puts managers over his investments. Whenever his managers bring in more profit, he expresses his delight by increasing their salaries and benefits, however, his major frustration comes from knowing that his investments are not producing profits, yet the managers are making requisitions for loans and advance payments to boost their personal welfare.

God is like that rich businessman. He is in heaven, he has all the money and anointing to accomplish His works on the earth but He needs people with flesh and blood to do the hands-on work on this planet. Whenever we do His works, He manifests his joy by filling our hands and mouths with good things.  However, His Spirit is grieved when we, the custodians He has given the task of expanding His Kingdom, concentrate on building our own lives and empires while neglecting His work. He has entrusted us to be ambassadors of Christ (2Corinthians 5:20) and He expects results in the end.

God is interested in our well being and we rejoice when our brothers and sisters testify of building houses, going for further studies, starting companies, and many other investments. However, if all these developments rob God of our time and money, then He is not happy with us either.

Each of us can do something for God because we have all been endowed with gifts and abilities. Hence, no one can say, “I don’t have anything I can do”, and we all have money that we can give towards His work regardless of our income. When it comes to our time, it is no secret that if something is important we will definitely create time for it – it is a matter of prioritization.

I believe that if we are concerned about our Father’s business and the expansion of His Kingdom, we will easily get all our desires met. The Gospel is not at the level He would desire it to be because the biggest part of the church is interested in personal welfare more than kingdom building. On the other hand, many of God’s children are living a life less than what they are meant to enjoy, because they have paid much attention to making prayer requests for personal needs than to being of service in God’s business.

It is a principle, and a secret to success in Christ – put God first and He will make you a priority; mind His business and He will mind yours.