How do we live in the world, but not be a people of the world? One way is to realize that all of us are learning to speak a new language. And the more you are immersed in a new language and culture, the more you begin to think, speak and absorb the ideas and words of your new homeland.
The Kingdom of God is initially a foreign country to us. We are not residents of the world, but citizens of Heaven, learning what that means. Our first experience in life is with the language and culture of the world. It’s what we’ve grown up with: a way of thinking and speaking that can be laced with cynicism, sarcasm, hopelessness and fear.
But none of those negatives exist in Heaven, so they can never be the language of the Kingdom here on earth – so we are literally learning a new language.
Grace is foreign to the way the world thinks and speaks. Unconditional love has an unfamiliar vocabulary. God’s true language of promise is something new to us when we first come to know Jesus.
The language of the Kingdom can be so unlike what people have heard before that it’s resisted. In times of turmoil, if you speak out of the peace that passes understanding, you may be accused of not caring. As if worry and anxiety are a sign that we care?
No beloved, God has more for you than that. His desire for you is first to speak to you in His language of grace, joy, peace, kindness, favor and unconditional love.
Each one of these has a unique Kingdom vocabulary. And as you hear Him, your own perceptions and ways of thinking and speaking naturally become more and more like His, until eventually, when people encounter you, they experience a taste of the true nature of God.
People are most likely to respond to the language of Heaven when they hear an authentic sound from your own experiences with the Lord.
This is why it’s not just about saying something positive or inspiring. It’s being transformed by walking and talking intimately with God so that the way He perceives, thinks and speaks about you and life around you becomes your native language.
So what’s the language you’re most fluent in? Listen to your everyday conversations. Does your language reflect the love, peace and joy of God’s true nature? Or is there distress, apprehension or annoyance reflected in the words you choose?
If you find negatives present, create an opposite vocabulary. Sometimes, it’s as simple as exchanging words, e.g. trade “fear” for “perfect love,” “anxiety” for “peace,” “I feel so frustrated,” into “I get to practice patience today.” Make sure that you receive love, peace and patience as a spiritual emotion of God’s presence.
Realize that you’re learning new ways—His ways. Let the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit rise up on the inside of you and speak to your heart in His words of love and grace, until the language of His Kingdom becomes your own.
PS) You can learn more about discovering and developing your own Kingdom language in my book The Nature of God. It’s currently available this month as a special bundle with a brilliant journal. Click here to learn more and order your set today!
