Buses, Monorails and Trains

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Romans 14:17

I just returned from Disney World with two of my grandchildren. Magic Kingdom was truly magical to five-year-old Elysen. Her face glowed with every hug and autograph from a Disney princess. She loved the music, she loved the rides (well, most of them), and she loved shopping at the Disney stores.

Two and a half year old Judah, however, had a very different experience. He wasn’t as interested in the princesses and rides within the parks. He wanted to ride the buses, monorails and trains. Every morning we would board a bus that would take us to a park. And every morning upon arrival, Judah would cry, “I don’t want to go. I want to ride the bus!” He was only consoled by the promise of another bus ride.

He wanted to ride the red monorail, the yellow monorail…or the train that travels around the perimeter of Magic Kingdom. One afternoon, Judah’s sweet dad rode with him on nothing but the monorail and train, over and over.

One grandchild loved the experiences within the parks. The other remained focused on the perimeter.

Some Christians resemble Judah in their Christian walk. They are part of God’s kingdom through faith in Jesus, but they know little of the joy of intimate fellowship with Jesus. They rarely experience God’s power because they haven’t moved forward in faith. They remain content with focusing on how they came into God’s kingdom (buses and monorails), or they remain content with a marginal Christian life (trains).

What about you? Are you living on the fringe of faith, or are you increasingly moving forward in knowledge and faith? Those who move forward in faith experience unequaled joy, contentment and power in Jesus Christ!

It’s time to move on from the buses and trains. An exciting kingdom awaits us all!

Lord, through knowledge and faith help me increasingly experience the joy and power of Your kingdom.

Jan Burkhart