“Failure to consciously – and constantly – resist building a second kingdom will lead you to hate Jesus, even if you’re claiming His name in your other pursuit.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – November 16, 2025
No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. Matthew 6:24
I read something recently that I can’t forget. It said a faithful follower of Christ will resist building a second kingdom with all his might. Second kingdoms feed deceitfulness in our hearts. They foster pride, lust, hatred, and worldly desires. They can destroy the unity we’re called to pursue and preserve (Ephesians 4:3).
The author wasn’t talking about our country. But I couldn’t help making the connection.
There’s nothing wrong with loving a country. I love mine deeply. It’s a privilege to have been born here, a gift I didn’t earn.
But if I stopped recognizing it as a gift—and started seeing it as something I deserved? An issue I’d fight my own brothers and sisters over? It would be easy to view others as outsiders stepping on my rights, to see enemies instead of image-bearers, even to set my vision for my country up as a second kingdom.
And a second kingdom always pushes for first place.
As Christians, only the King can have first place.
This is how we resist a second kingdom
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me,” Jesus said. If we really want to be His, we’ll give up everything that is extra so we can be focused on Him and on His purposes.
So, how do we avoid building a second kingdom? I imagine the first step is wanting to. This warning from Jesus might help: “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other” (Matthew 6:24). The moment something else becomes your ultimate goal, Christ is relegated to second place.
Failure to consciously – and constantly – resist building a second kingdom will lead you to hate Jesus, even if you’re claiming His name in your other pursuit. It’s impossible to love Jesus while hating His people (1 John 4:20).
So, what should we do if God is subtly pointing out we’ve been building a second kingdom? We repent, “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles” and fix our eyes on the One who endured the cross for our sake (Hebrews 12:2) and never once tried to build an earthly kingdom of His own. His kingdom wasn’t coming by force (John 18:36).
This is our role in the world
Christians are heirs to a promise God made to Abraham’s family in Genesis 12. He would make them into a great nation through whom all nations would be blessed. Galatians 3:29 says if we’re Christ’s, then we’re “Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.” We’re called, like they were, to bless the world, to live in such a way that our very existence blesses people.
“By this,” Jesus said, “everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
And His apostles showed us how that looks:
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
“We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak.”
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”
This is the Christian walk, the evidence that the Spirit Jesus promised really lives in us. People should be able to recognize Christ in us by this singular focus, by these putting-others-first behaviors.
Love like Jesus instead
Second kingdoms can’t produce Christ-like love, and God’s true kingdom is not of this world. It’s established by One who refused to seek political victory and laid down His life for us, people who never deserved His gift.
If you’ve been building a second kingdom, it’s not too late to stop. Lay it down. Return to the King who never asked you to conquer the world, only to love it like He did.
Prayer
Holy Father, God of love and unity, forgive us when we build kingdoms of our own making. Help us to recognize and reject anything that is competing with you for first place in our hearts. Teach us to love our neighbors as ourselves, to see image-bearers instead of enemies, and to bless the world the way you’ve called us to. May your kingdom come, your way, and may we never confuse it with any earthly kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Application
Sit somewhere and hold still long enough to reach out to Jesus. Ask him to show you your own heart. Is there anything competing with Christ for first place? Ask God to reveal any “second kingdoms” you might be building and commit to laying them down. Then, practice loving someone you disagree with. Try bearing a burden for them or counting them as more significant than yourself. Try to follow Jesus’ model of love for a week.
Related Reading
Matthew 6:24; John 18:36; Romans 12:9-21
Worship Resource
Elevation Worship feat. Tiffany Hudson: Jesus Be The Name
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