I want to have a Kingdom minded approach to ministry.  Sadly, my flesh so often pulls me in the direction of building my own kingdom.  It’s an ugly, discrete, and unacceptable inclination.

Since I know this proclivity is a part of me, I have to proactively wage war against it.  It’s good to pray about it.  And it’s even better to pray about it and then act against it.

I’ll share a small effort I made toward this before I ever even moved to Charlotte.  I’m not sharing it to brag, because honestly, I don’t think it’s all that heroic.  But hopefully, it will inspire you to think of your own ways to fight against a my Kingdom come mentality.

I set up separate lunch meetings with 3 church planters who were already established in Charlotte.  I met them at a place that was convenient for them on a day that fit their schedule.  I took my notebook and asked questions.  I shut up and wrote down what they said.  I paid for lunch.  Then afterward, I handed each of them a check from my personal checking account for $100.

That may not sound like a lot of money.  But when the church you’re preparing to start only has a couple hundred dollars in the checking account and you’ve got your first kid on the way, it’s a pretty substantial sacrifice.

I have no illusion that my $100 made an earth shaking difference in the bottom line of the budgets of any of those churches.  But it helped to uproot the weeds of territorialism in my heart as I sowed some seed into someone else’s ministry.

Don’t just pray that God would give you a heart for the ministries of others.  Make an investment into someone else’s ministry.  And your heart will follow.