Again [Jesus] said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, …
- Mark 4:30-32a
 
The kingdom of God grows. From a small seed it becomes “the largest of all garden plants.” Growth brings change. Change brings challenges. Challenges bring choices.
 
The kingdom of God gives us the opportunity to choose to align our lives with God’s way of being in the world. We lean into our spiritual DNA. We become the people who God wants us to become.
 
That’s one option.
 
But we also have the choice available to us to go our own way. We can reject God’s guidance and push against his priorities. We can graft ourselves onto other plants. But what will happen to our souls?
 
If a mustard seed chooses not to become a mustard plant, it’s choosing to wither and die. The best thing for a mustard seed to do is to become a healthy, full-grown mustard plant.
 
As we grow into the kingdom of God – both individually and communally – we change. The seed disappears and the plant emerges. We thrive and (as we’ll see on Friday) bless the world around us.
 
How have you changed as you lean into the kingdom of God? How has that change been challenging? What blessings have come into your life as you respond to those challenges?