Thursday, March 27, 2025

Ah, spring—the season of new beginnings, chirping birds, and the annual regret of not starting that gym routine sooner. 😬 

Welcome to The Smart Edit newsletter! This issue … becoming rich in what matters, parallel polis, and more. 🎧️ Audio message included.

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P.S. — Marriage material: The five “hard truths” a psychologist says couples learn too late.

Beyond accumulation: becoming rich in what matters

At The Smart Edit, we’re passionate about exploring the ways of Jesus—discovering what it really means to know Him and grow as His Kingdom apprentices. One key dynamic in the Kingdom is generosity…

Jesus introduced a powerful concept in Luke 12:21: “So is he who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God” (NKJV). See the context in Luke 12.13-21.

This isn’t a condemnation of preparing for the future or caring for oneself, but a call to prioritize something more important—generosity.

To live rich toward God is to step off the wide path of self-obsession and embark on a journey of giving.

It’s about discovering the greatest treasure on earth—people. It’s nurturing relationships, lifting others up, and investing in the Kingdom’s mission.

Being rich toward God isn’t about waiting for more to give. It’s about giving what you already have—time, words, prayers, and resources—to enrich the lives around you.

It’s not about accumulating wealth for personal gain, but living for others. Whether it’s encouraging a friend or serving your family, it’s about making eternal investments.

We have the invitation to join Jesus on this rich journey.

(Adapted from a guest post on JesusSmart.com by Matt Peterson, a pastor based in North Carolina.)

🎧️ New on the JesusSmartX pod

Secret sauce: living on point, on time, and on assignment. Some people think real success is about having lots of money, dopamine-rich adventures, exciting travel, sex without boundaries, and fame. Others believe it's about reaching your personal goals. But we suggest an even higher path: we're proposing that the real secret sauce is living by a higher mission.

What if believers weren’t just surviving in the world but building something better?

The early church functioned as a Parallel Polis—a counter-community within the Roman Empire, living under Christ’s reign rather than Caesar’s. They formed their own social and economic networks, cared for the vulnerable, and stood firm against cultural corruption.

Over time, their quiet revolution transformed Rome before ultimately outlasting it.

Today, we face new challenges, but the principle remains: the Kingdom of God is a higher reality, calling us to live differently.

This is not a call to abandon society, but rather to create and live out alternative structures that reflect the values of Christ’s Kingdom.

How does this hit your heart? What are your first thoughts and feelings? 📨 [email protected] 

The Parallel Polis concept today originates from Václav Benda, a Czech dissident and philosopher, who developed it in the 1970s under communist rule in Czechoslovakia. Benda’s vision was rooted in Christian ethics.

Alternative living

WORD WEALTH 🪙 
Words matter. Straying from the heart of Jesus.

Paul warns us that we can drift from love that flows from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere (unhypocritical) faith—by turning aside to idle talk (1 Timothy 1:5-6). Idle talk can pull us away from the heart of Jesus.

The Greek word mataiologia (mat-ah-yol-og-ee-ah) is a compound of “vain” and “word,” meaning futile, worthless, or empty chatter—idle prattle that serves no purpose.

“Holy Spirit, help me guard my mouth and filter my words. Help me to speak less, but with greater purpose. Let my speech reflect higher quality. Thank You.”

Related: see the new, growing collection of Smart Edit ‘Word Wealth’ segments.

🗣️ Mountain speak. Jesus said, “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22). Then He told us to speak to the mountain—command it to move and believe what you say. Faith receives in prayer, knows the answer is settled, and speaks from that place. Speak movement. Get vocal. “Mountain speak” is an integral part of the shift. Meditate on Mark 11:22-24.

Incognito glory. “The world is crowded with Him. He walks everywhere incognito.” C.S. Lewis dropping the 🪙. This is still my Father’s world. His presence fills the earth, though the world’s system is fallen for now (Ps. 24:1). Will we recognize the King in the chaos? Will we access His presence and authority? Heaven is nearer than we think—the veil is thin for those who live by faith.

🏃‍♀️ Run lighter. Hebrews 12:1 says, “Lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily entangles.” We know sin trips us up, but what about weights? Worries, distractions, and unnecessary burdens drain our energy and pull pm our focus. Jesus said, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:30). What’s one weight you can drop today? Run free.

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Related newsletter: “Get behind me, Self!”

Word of the week: Personalia (ˌpərsəˈneɪljə) — All the personal belongings, writings and information of an individual. “Robert had to make many treks back to his childhood home to collect all of his personalia.” Source: WordDaily

Trivia answers: A) That your partner should meet all your needs, E) That marriage should be completely conflict-free