Mustard Seeds and Yeast

"He told them another parable: 'The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.' He told them still another parable: 'The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.'"
Matthew 13:31-33

We know that the kingdom of heaven is within us. But how does it work in our every day lives? What are the possibilities of living a kingdom filled life? Partially, the answers are found in the above scriptures. Sometimes, we read the parables that Jesus taught and think, Isn't that nice. I will remember this one. But we don't take the time to understand what is being said through the parable.
    The first story illustrates the potential of the kingdom. You may feel like you only have a small seed of the kingdom within you. Jesus said that this is the perfect start to a kingdom filled life. The potential of God's kingdom working in our lives is limitless. To you, it may look like a small seed, but when the Holy Spirit takes it, it can become a flourishing tree. You have within you, the possibilities of fully entering the kingdom of heaven and allowing the Holy Spirit to completely guide your life. But, you must make the decision to allow the seed to grow, and then make moment by moment choices, to receive the provision of God's kingdom for every situation.
    In the second verse, Jesus is clearly teaching us that the kingdom of heaven must invade every area of our lives. We can no longer think that the kingdom is only spiritual and therefore, can only affect spiritual things. God has established the kingdom in each of our lives so that we may access the power and fruit of it for every situation. This can be spiritual, emotional, or physical. The kingdom is like yeast in the dough of our lives. We must kneed our lives to allow it to touch every area.
    Begin to look at the potential and possibilities of the kingdom of heaven. Take hold of it now. Do not wait until you die to experience the kingdom, do it now. You can allow the kingdom to influence every area of your life; spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and physical. Once it works through the whole batch of dough that is your life, you will be changed from the inside out. You will grow and be used by God to fulfill his purpose for you. If you have a mustard seed, let it grow. Tell God that you want him to permeate your life with his kingdom. We are all lumps of dough, resting, while the yeast of the kingdom works God's will in us..