Let All My Kingdoms Fall

"Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name."
Psalm 79:6

I have learned much about the kingdom of God over the past few years. One thing I have learned is that God is jealous. He has one kingdom and he longs for us to live there with him. He does not want other kingdoms to get in the way of our entering into his. Therefore, there is some self-examination required on our parts.
    I understand that we have interests, desires, talents, and other things we enjoy. God created all of these things and has presented them to us to enjoy. So the issue is not; can we do things that bring us pleasure? The real question is; do we honor God while we are doing them? God is not jealous toward things that are pleasureful. He is jealous of things that become kingdoms in our lives.
    I have been challenged by the Lord to destroy all the other kingdoms in my life. These kingdoms were things that became so important to me that they demanded my time, thoughts and attention. For me, it comes down to the first commandment, You shall have no other gods before (or besides) me.  If these other interests become kingdoms, I have a problem.
    In many cases, it did not require me to give up the activity, but to reorganize my priorities. In other words, I had to remove the 'kingdom status' from the things. I am a sports lover and I follow the University of Oregon football with fervor. I came to realize that this became a kingdom. I was giving up time with God to watch, read, and listen to things centered around the Oregon Ducks football team. I thought about it, dreamed about it, and suffered anxiety over it. So when I realized that I had made this another god, I had to rearrange things. I still follow the team and enjoy the season, but it no longer rules me.
    So what are the things that have become kingdoms in your life? God is not necessarily asking you to stop participating in these activities or interests, he is asking you to put them in their place. They absolutely cannot become gods. We have one kingdom to enter, it is God's kingdom. All others must fall. Check your priorities and take the appropriate action. You will realize new benefits that only come from being a subject in the kingdom of heaven.