Top o’ the Mornin’ to Ya!
TLDR:
Like Jabez who prayed “bless me and expand my territory,” discovering what you know, care about, and can change defines your kingdom of influence.
What?
There’s this guy Jabez in Chronicles – right in the middle of all these “begat” genealogies listing kings of Judah and Israel. The Bible just mentions him briefly: he was born in pain, his mother named him Jabez, and he prayed this bold prayer – “Bless me indeed and expand my territory.” And God granted his request. That’s it. That’s his whole story. But it stuck with me because it’s exactly what the second pillar of the Kingdom Family Leader path is about – expanding your territory. I remember when we were starting a charter school 20-30 years ago, one of the kids on the committee said something that seemed simple but was profound: “We don’t know what we don’t know yet.” That statement changed how I think about territory and expansion.
Why?
I’m sharing this because most Christian men are playing small, operating in a tiny territory when God wants to expand their influence. We get comfortable in what we know, only caring about familiar things, only working on what feels safe. But Jabez teaches us to pray boldly for expansion. The second pillar isn’t about being greedy or empire-building – it’s about increasing our capacity to serve, to give, to grow, and to bless others. When your territory expands, so does your ability to impact God’s kingdom. But you can’t expand what you haven’t first identified. You need to know the boundaries of your current territory before you can push them outward.
Lesson:
Expanding your territory requires understanding three intersecting circles that define your kingdom of influence. First, what do you know about? This includes everything you’re aware of, plus recognizing there are things you don’t know that you don’t know – areas of potential expansion waiting to be discovered. Second, what do you care about? Of everything you know, what actually matters to you? Where does your heart pull your attention? Third, what can you actually do something about? What’s within your power to change, influence, or impact? Your kingdom – your territory – exists where these three circles intersect: what you know about, care about, and can do something about. This intersection is your current relative sphere of influence. To expand it, you might need to learn something new (expanding what you know), develop new passions (expanding what you care about), or gain new skills and resources (expanding what you can do). Sometimes this sends you back to the first pillar – bless yourself – because you need to grow personally before your territory can expand. Sometimes it launches you into the third pillar – serve His kingdom – because you’re ready to act within your expanded territory. The prayer of Jabez isn’t just about asking for more; it’s about preparing yourself to steward more for God’s glory.
Apply:
Map your three circles today. Draw three overlapping circles and label them: “What I Know,” “What I Care About,” and “What I Can Change.” Fill in each circle, then identify the intersection – your current kingdom. Pick one area to expand this week: learn something new, develop care for a new cause, or gain ability in a new area.
You be blessed!
