The Work of the Kingdom

1. Cultivating joy

Joy is a discipline. It is commanded, which means it can be obeyed — and a Christian who is not joyful is a Christian with work to do.

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18

In all circumstances. So we go to work on it. We sing. We feast. We give thanks out loud. We repent quickly, and we laugh often. Joy is the will of God for you, and it is something you can pursue on purpose.

2. Maturing

Put off the old self. Put on the new. This is the command that makes everything else on this list possible — a man governs a household because he has first learned to govern himself.

“Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” — Ephesians 4:22–24

Maturity is moral, and it is doctrinal. Grow up in the Word. Read it, know it, and store it up where it can do its work.

“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” — Psalm 119:11

“Solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” — Hebrews 5:14

3. Working hard, and outdoing one another in service

Your work is capital entrusted to you by a Master who is coming back to settle accounts. He gave it expecting a return, and He is glad to give more to the man who puts what he has to work.

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” — Matthew 25:21

Notice where faithful labor lands: in the joy of your master. The work and the joy are the same country.

And the same energy you bring to your vocation, bring to one another. Compete at it.

“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” — Romans 12:10

Show up first. Stay last. Carry the heavy thing. Notice the person nobody noticed. This is where real friendship comes from.

4. Playing hard

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might. That includes your work, the volleyball court, the trailhead, the table, and the singing.

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.” — Ecclesiastes 9:10

Friendships are forged at play. Character is revealed at play. The man who learns to serve, to lead, to lose graciously, and to sing loudly on a Tuesday night is the man who will do it in a marriage. This is the training ground.

5. Building a household

Man was not made to be alone. It is the first thing in all of Scripture that God calls not good — and He answered it Himself, immediately.

“Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.’” — Genesis 2:18

“Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.” — 1 Corinthians 11:9

So: marry, and marry young. Men, pursue. Women, be pursued.

Marriage is the founding of an institution. A household is a fixed point in a city — it hosts, it feeds people, it holds ground across generations. And it fills with children, who are the ordinary engine of the Kingdom's growth.

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” — Ephesians 6:4

The most consequential discipleship you will ever do happens at your own table.

The purpose behind the work

The Great Commission starts at your table.

Discipling the nations is not first a matter of going somewhere. It is a matter of building something — a household, a church, a community. The nations get discipled when Christian homes get built, one at a time, in one place, over generations.

This is the work. Not preparation for the work.

Cross Connection