One Kingdom or Two Kingdom?

Stewards live in the one kingdom of God where there is only one lord—Jesus Christ. But too often, we find ourselves building a second kingdom fueled by our sinful nature to take over.

Two kingdoms, according to author and theologian Scott Rodin, “refers to the way we divide our life up into the things we surrender to God (His kingdom) and those parts of our lives and relationships we hold on to in a desire to exercise control (our kingdom).”

He further says, “in our sin, we are all second-kingdom builders. The power behind the things in our second kingdoms rob us of the abundant life God created us to live – the life of the one-kingdom steward where Jesus is Lord of everything.”

 Becoming a one kingdom steward is not primarily about what we do, what we manage. It is about lordship. Is Jesus the lord and master of our life or do we have a hard time letting go of control?

The Second Kingdom We Keep for Ourselves

The second kingdom is our kingdom—the part of our lives where we still want to be in charge. The part where our preferences, ambitions, plans, possessions, and desires determine what happens. We may gladly surrender certain areas to God while quietly keeping others under our own control.

We might say, “Lord, everything I have is Yours,” but then add, perhaps without saying it aloud, “except this.”

The reality of two kingdoms can show up in many ways. Such as:

• We may surrender our Sunday to God but keep our career under our own control.

• We may give generously but reluctant to surrender our financial security.

• We may ask God to guide our ministry but insist on having things done our way.

• We may pray for God's will in our relationships while holding tightly to our own expectations.

• We may trust God with our future but remain anxious because we still want to control the outcome.

• We may even serve faithfully in God's work while protecting our own reputation, comfort, influence, or dreams.

None of this necessarily means that we have rejected God. The struggle is often much subtler than that. We love Jesus. We desire to follow Him. We genuinely want to be faithful.

But there can still be places in our lives where we have not fully acknowledged His Lordship.

The question, then, is not simply, “Am I giving God something?” The deeper question is: “Is there any part of my life that I still consider mine to rule?”

Stewardship Begins with Surrender

Psalm 24:1 reminds us: “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it.”

That leaves very little room for a second kingdom. If everything belongs to God, then stewardship means receiving what He entrusts to us and faithfully managing it on His behalf, on His own terms. We are not owners building our own little kingdoms. We are stewards serving the King.

This changes the way we see everything.

• Our money is not simply our money to spend as we please.

• Our time is not simply our time to use however we want.

• Our abilities are not merely our talents to advance our own interests.

• Our businesses, ministries, careers, homes, relationships, and influence are not ultimately ours.

They are gifts entrusted to us by the King.

And the question of a steward is always: “What does the Owner desire me to do with what He has entrusted to me?”

Jesus Does Not Ask for a Portion

Perhaps one of the greatest challenges of discipleship is that Jesus does not simply ask to be given a place in our lives. He calls us to acknowledge Him as Lord of all.

A good way to think about this is to imagine our life as a house with different rooms. We gladly invite Jesus into some rooms—our church life, our devotional life, our generosity, perhaps our ministry.

But there may be other rooms where we say, “This one is mine. It’s off limits”

Jesus' invitation is much more radical. He wants the whole house.

The good and faithful steward gradually learns to open every door: finances, ambitions, relationships, work, possessions, plans, fears, dreams, decisions, and even the things we are most reluctant to release.

This is not about losing everything. It is about recognizing that everything already belongs to Him. Give Him the key to the house and all its rooms.

Surrender does not mean that we stop planning, working, building, leading, or dreaming. Rather, we do these things differently. We hold them with open hands, willing for God's purposes to take precedence over our own.

From “My Will” to “Your Will”

Jesus Himself modeled this posture. In the garden of Gethsemane, facing the greatest sacrifice of His earthly life, He prayed:Jesus Himself modeled this posture. In the garden of Gethsemane, facing the greatest sacrifice of His earthly life, He prayed:

“Not my will, but yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42)

That is the heart of a faithful steward. It is the movement from “What do I want?” to “What does God want?”

From “What will build my kingdom?” to “What will advance His Kingdom?”

From “How can God bless my plans?” to “How can I participate in what God is doing?”

And sometimes, this will require us to relinquish control. Because ultimately, being a steward is not about controlling what God has given us. It is about trusting the One who gave it.

One Kingdom Living

Perhaps this is one of the most important questions we can ask ourselves as stewards:

Am I living with one kingdom or two?

Is Jesus truly Lord of every area of my life, or have I established places where I still insist on being king? Which areas am I still holding on? What am I unwilling to surrender? What decisions do I make without asking what God desires? What resources do I treat as though they belong exclusively to me? What dreams, ambitions, relationships, or plans have I placed beyond the reach of God's direction?

These questions are not meant to condemn us. They are invitations - An invitation to deeper trust, an invitation to greater freedom, an invitation to move from divided allegiance to wholehearted devotion.

The good and faithful steward is not the person who has managed to give God a portion of everything. The good and faithful steward is the one who recognizes that there is only one Kingdom—and Jesus is King.

And when we finally see that, being a good and faithful steward becomes more than managing what we have. It becomes a way of living.

One King.

One Kingdom.

One life—fully surrendered to Him.