Empire or Shalom?
We all know the pull.
Do more. Get more. Secure your future. Control the outcome. Protect yourself.
That’s the way of empire. It’s built on fear and scarcity. There’s this deep, often unspoken belief that there’s not enough to go around. So I better fight for mine and protect what’s mine. I better do what I can to make sure I come out ahead. And honestly… who cares what happens to others, as long as I’m safe and taken care of?
That’s empire thinking. It’s survival mode with a spiritual disguise— and it’s everywhere.
Empire is built on fear. It’s about power, control, and chasing more—more wealth, more influence, more security. Empire doesn’t care who gets hurt along the way, as long as I come out on top. Empire’s heartbeat is self-preservation. It’s all rooted in a scarcity mindset that says, “There’s not enough to go around, so I better look out for me, hold tightly onto what’s mine, or everything will fall apart.”
But God’s Kingdom is different.
God’s Kingdom is about shalom.
Shalom is not just peace—but everything in its right place. Wholeness. Order. Rest. Trust. Shalom is built on trust— trust that God knows what I need and will provide. Instead of clinging to control, I can live open-handed. Shalom is not self-preservation anymore, it’s self-giving. It’s not fear, it’s faith. And because I believe there is enough, I don’t need to manipulate or dominate—I can invite, serve, and lay my life down for others.
Shalom is the way of Jesus.
In the Biblical narrative we see God’s creative order in Genesis, the mess humans made, and how that eventually landed them in bondage in Egypt. While in Egypt for over 400 years, Pharaoh was a ruthless oppressor and major antagonist toward God. One set free from Egypt through the faithful leadership of Moses, God warned His people over and over not to “return to Egypt” or rely on Pharaoh’s power. “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help… but do not look to the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 31:1). He warned that if they leaned on Babylon (empire thinking and living), they’d be swept up in her downfall. “Come out from among her, My people! Save your lives… or you will be swept away in her punishment” (Jeremiah 51:45).
Empire forms you in its image if you’re not careful. But Jesus invites us into His.
He said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you” (Matthew 6:33).
Paul echoes this Kingdom tension: “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).
And in Revelation, John pulls back the curtain. Babylon—the spirit of empire—is seductive, violent, and doomed. “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the Great!” (Revelation 18:2). The reality of the Kingdom doesn’t come through domination. It comes through the Lamb.
John wrote this from his vision, “They conquered him (Satan and the ruler of Empire) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not love their lives to the point of death” (Revelation 12:11).
This is what Jesus modeled. This is what we’re called to.
Not empire building. Not fear-based striving. Chaos and disorder.
But trust. Wholeness. Peace and order. A life of shalom. A Kingdom built upon and embodying shalom.
So here’s the question: Where is empire thinking still shaping your decisions—and what would it look like to let shalom lead instead?
As you go, let’s remember this edifying truth: “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:28-29 CSB
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