As followers of Jesus, if our political arguments sound no different than typical Democratic or Republican rhetoric, we need to step back and open ourselves up to the possibility that we may have lost sight of the Kingdom.

The “greater righteousness” Jesus calls us to is a whole-person way of being in the world that conforms to God’s will. It’s not just about doing the right things; it’s about having the right heart…a Kingdom heart.

What is a Kingdom heart? And how do we cultivate it?

Let’s lean in once again to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.

Righteous is not something most of us aspire to be. In fact, when we hear the word, we often think of self-righteous, of people who act like they are morally superior.

And yet, righteousness is at the heart of what Jesus calls us to in his Sermon on the Mount. Righteousness is at the heart of Jesus’ kingdom vision.

So what does it mean to be righteous?

My guess is many of us had dreams of making our mark on the world in a recognized and celebrated way. And even though those delusions of grandeur faded into reality, I think we all still long for our lives to be significant. We want to matter in some way.

Maybe it’s time to chase a bigger dream?

As Jesus begins his Sermon on the Mount, he paints a picture of what life looks like in his kingdom. And he starts with a series of blessings we know as the Beatitudes.The Beatitudes are good news!

However, to truly experience this good news, we have to let Jesus turn our thinking upside down. And this most certainly will involve choosing the opposite path from our culturally-formed instincts.

Most Christ-followers I talk to feel like we are stumbling into this New Year, a bruised, bickering, beleaguered church. The circumstances we’ve faced these past couple years have been exhausting, and our response to them has often exacerbated the difficulties. Don’t get me wrong, God isn’t in any kind of trouble. His kingdom will never be shaken. But as his people, we are a bit wobbly and weary.

We need a fresh start.