The Kingdom of God is not like this world. It doesn’t value things we value. It doesn’t see things like we see them. It follows a different set of rules and values. It is often called the upside-down kingdom. In the Bible, we can read the words of Jesus when He tells His disciples that the last will be first, it is better to give than to receive, we all need to be like little children, and we gain our life by losing it for His sake. I read my Bible and I face, again and again, the fact that my reality doesn’t match up with God’s way of seeing things.  

Just a few months ago we had friends from the States visiting us in our city where we serve. We were very excited to show them around; we wanted them to get a taste of our culture and our people. One warm evening, as we were walking along the cobblestone, pointing out buildings and historical landmarks, one of our friends took a big fall and rolled down a couple of uneven steps. I feared the worst and imagined the poorly equipped hospital where we would have to take her, to get her broken bones taken care of. I whispered a quick prayer and hurried over to help her. With a smile our friend got up and exclaimed, “I can’t look up, I need to keep my eyes on my feet all the time!” 

Again, I was struck with the fact that in our lives with Jesus, things are different. He tells us to look UP, to focus our eyes on HIM, and HE will make our paths straight. It’s when we hand everything over to Him and pay attention to His guidance that the things around us “grow small”. What currently looks like something I will never overcome, will not overwhelm me any longer. I will be able to look differently at the issues that make me lie awake at night worrying. The cultural differences that seem impossible to get used to will not bother me as much when I have a bigger perspective. My help comes from the Lord.