Breaking the Mold: Living as Citizens of Another Kingdom

There's something powerful about moments that force us to rethink everything we thought we knew. Sometimes it takes an unexpected disruption—a change in routine, an unusual circumstance—to reveal that God wants to do something new in our lives. He wants to break the mold we've been living in.
Too often, Christianity becomes cookie-cutter. We slip into denominational patterns, comfortable routines, and expectations about what church "should" look like. But God didn't create us to be identical copies of one another. He created each of us with unique callings, distinct gifts, and original purposes that no one else can fulfill.

When Jesus stood before Pilate, facing interrogation just before His crucifixion, He made a striking declaration: "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place" (John 18:36).
This statement reveals something profound about our identity as believers. We don't belong to the kingdoms of this earth. We are citizens of another realm entirely. This means we were never meant to fit in seamlessly with the world around us. We were created to stand out, to be light in darkness, to be a city on a hill that cannot be hidden.
The question isn't whether we're different—it's whether we're willing to embrace that difference and stop trying to conform to worldly patterns.

If we belong to a different kingdom, it makes sense that we fight our battles differently. As 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 reminds us, we don't wage war as humans do. We use mighty weapons—not worldly weapons—to knock down strongholds of human reasoning and destroy false arguments.
What are these spiritual weapons? Prayer and fasting stand among the most powerful tools God has given us. There's a compelling image to consider: have you drowned your concerns in prayer? When something is held under water, it either survives or it doesn't. If an idea, dream, or concern survives being completely saturated in prayer, it's from God. If it doesn't survive, perhaps it wasn't meant to be pursued.
This principle reveals an essential truth: we must win in the spiritual realm first what we want to see in the physical realm. Are you believing for a family member's salvation? For healing? For breakthrough? The question is: have you won that battle in prayer first?
The Word of God is another mighty weapon. Proverbs 18:21 tells us that death and life are in the power of the tongue. What we speak, what we declare, has genuine power. When we align our words with God's Word and speak it over our lives and circumstances, we're wielding spiritual authority.

One of the greatest obstacles to breaking the mold is our inability to let go of the past. The apostle Paul wrote, "I forget the past and I look forward to what lies ahead. I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize" (Philippians 3:13-14).
Many believers are trying to walk freely into their future while carrying heavy baggage from their past. But here's the truth: Jesus already took that baggage on the cross. He took the anxiety, the depression, the sickness, the pain, the addiction, the sin—all of it. Why are we still carrying what no longer belongs to us?
We must learn to do three things well:
Bury yesterday. Mark Batterson talks about how most people stop truly living long before they take their last breath. They become prisoners of past mistakes, hurts, and offenses. Unforgiveness chains us to moments that should be dead and buried. If we don't bury our dead yesterdays, we can never become who God has called us to be.
Live in today. Jesus taught us to pray, "Give us today our daily bread." He also said, "Don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today" (Matthew 6:34). Are you present with the people around you? Or are you mentally living in yesterday's regrets or tomorrow's anxieties? God provides daily manna. He asks us to trust Him one day at a time.
Prepare for tomorrow. While we shouldn't worry about tomorrow, we should prepare for it. There is no wasted season in the kingdom of God. If God has allowed you to walk through difficulty, it's because He's preparing you for something greater. Your testimony—your story of God's faithfulness through hardship—has power to set others free.

Jesus told a parable about a mustard seed—the smallest of all seeds that grows into a plant so large that birds come and perch in its branches (Matthew 13:31-32). This is the kingdom of heaven. This is what happens when we bury yesterday, live fully in today, and prepare for tomorrow.
Get ready to grow. When you release the past, listen to the Holy Spirit in the present, and position yourself for the future, exponential growth becomes possible. And here's the beautiful part: when you grow, others benefit. The fruit in your life becomes shade and nourishment for your children, your family, your friends, your community.

The Bible says "do not fear" at least 365 times—one for every day of the year. Yet fear keeps so many believers trapped in inaction. Fear of failure. Fear of rejection. Fear of inadequacy.
But remember Peter stepping out of the boat during a storm. The water was turbulent, the circumstances were terrifying, but Jesus called him to come. And Peter walked on water—something humanly impossible—because he focused on the One calling him forward.
What is God calling you to step out and do? Start that business? Share your testimony? Serve in ministry? Speak truth boldly? Whatever it is, do not be afraid. Know who is on the other side of that voice calling you out onto the water.

Breaking the mold means rethinking everything. It means asking: What could happen if we stopped doing things the way they've always been done? Who could we reach if we opened our mouths about the gospel? How could we better serve our communities?
You are not called to be like anyone else. You are called to be uniquely, authentically, boldly who God created you to be. The world doesn't need more cookie-cutter Christians. It needs believers who will embrace their distinct calling and walk in the fullness of their God-given purpose.
The kingdom of heaven is not of this world. And neither are you. It's time to break the mold.