Our Kingdom Assignment

(from one Sojourner to another)

Sometimes, we catch a powerful glimpse of Kingdom reality that marks us forever. It might be in the mundane rhythms of an ordinary day when God unexpectedly whispers to our souls or when the Lord provides in a miraculous way. We might feel the depth of His presence when walking in grief through the valley of the shadow of death or in a season where He makes us rest in green pastures, weary from being on the front lines. God restores our souls. We may experience extraordinary encounters with Him through prayer pregnant with His presence or a transformational conversation with a fellow Kingdom sojourner.

I invite you to listen in on one such conversation infused with treasure and weighted revelation. During a recent phone call with my friend Marcus Redding, God used his words to give me a profound glimpse of the Kingdom. In his final weeks of battling devastating cancer, Marcus spoke with unwavering faith from one sojourner to another. “People keep praying for my healing,” he said confidently, “but I was healed when I became a Christian. I AM healed. This body is just temporary, and I will walk with God in eternity. I knew I was dying long before this cancer. Everyone dies; my time just came sooner than expected. But I am certain of my future and eternal life with King Jesus.” His words jolted me to life like a defibrillator restoring a Kingdom heart rhythm, granting me a higher perspective and deeper sense of ‘otherness.’ His reminder of the realities of time and eternity overshadowed the cares and concerns of this world compared to the Kingdom glory and hope set before us.

Marcus and I had worked together for years, and his impact upon the lives of all those around him is immeasurable.  He often spoke of his King Jesus, sharing the good news with anyone who crossed his path. He told me that his illness was just his “next assignment from God. The people I meet and interact with in these last days are the ones God has divinely placed in my path to share the hope found only in Christ.” He embraced this new Kingdom assignment, sharing with anyone who would listen about his love for King Jesus and how they, too, could know that love. In magnifying Christ, Marcus’s life shone brilliantly, like a beam of light in a dark world. And so it should be for every Kingdom sojourner: “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden… let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-15).

Marcus’s words reacquainted me with my “otherness.” There are days when it is felt more strongly. We are in this world but not of it. Like an awkward dance when one partner is just out of step with the other. We are not to be in sync with the world. We are to unabashedly dance to the beat of a different drum with a distinctive Kingdom rhythm that is otherworldly. Our worldview passes through a Kingdom lens. We are set apart. Holy. Our thinking, feeling, and behavior, when permeated by Christ, is contrary to that of the world. We are baffling to those who know nothing of the freedom, salvation, truth, and joy found in Christ.

It may seem lonely or difficult at times to embrace our “otherness” as sojourners in this in-between space. More than being comfortable or happy, our purpose is to glorify the King, which my dear friend so powerfully reminded me. The awareness of our temporary place as a sojourner in this world is an ever-present reality. “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.” (1 Peter 2:11). There is a tension in being in the “in between.” To be in this world, yet not of it creates an ongoing clash that resonates deep in the soul. There are boundaries and truths belonging to the King which carry with them a different set of expectations and responsibilities.

Embrace the tension. “Lean into your ‘otherness’—learn the contours of its face, feel out the steady grip of its hand. Because [God] intends it to be your lifelong companion.”¹ Your “otherness” reminds you of who you are and Whose you are. Your “otherness” reminds you that your home is not here. Your home is with an eternal King whose love for you is beyond your wildest imagination.  “‘Otherness’ is a sensation not to be dulled or diminished but to be cultivated and cherished. . . This world is not our home. We are sojourners, travelers on our way to the only true comfort the human heart can know.”² 

I am deeply grateful for Marcus’s life and words, which were steeped in the aroma of heaven. God used his perspective to bring heaven closer and reignite my passion for my own Kingdom assignment. Marcus was a good and faithful servant whose cup truly overflowed onto everyone he encountered. Goodness and mercy surely followed him all the days of his life, and now he dwells in the house of the Lord forever. I am thankful we sojourned together and eagerly await the day we meet again.

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^{1 Wilkin, Jen. “Embrace Your Otherness.” http://www.thegospelcoalition.org. September 24, 2013.}

2 Ibid.