Our kingdom is the realm of our influence – the corner of creation over which we have say. And the kingdoms of this world include all the people and institutions that have power and say, many of which also have a direct or indirect influence on ours. But Jesus Christ is the King of kings, which means he has preeminence over all. He is not merely a king among kings, but the king over all kings.
This certainly impacts the understanding of our own kingdom. While it is our kingdom, we don’t get to do anything we want. We’re kings who are also under the authority of a king. On the one hand, we have a lot of freedom in how we wield our power. But we have the responsibility to ensure this is done in the service of love. We don’t get to abdicate our throne, nor become tyrants on it, but rather we are to rule and reign as Christ himself.
And Christ as the King of kings also shapes our understanding and dance with the kingdoms of this world. All too often we’re tempted to put Christ merely among our competing loyalties – alongside our educational and professional pursuits, entertainment, or civic endeavors, for example. And, in this way, we set ourselves as the true king, and all of these other kingdoms, including God’s, are to serve our interests. We arrange and give each priority as we see fitting.
To be sure, God is generous in giving us our own kingdom to rule. But he’s also jealous and will not allow others to take his place of preeminence. We are free to become allies with other kingdoms provided Christ remains the King of kings and our ultimate allegiance is to him. For instance, we can discover meaning in our professional endeavors, enjoy various forms of entertainment, and even engage passionately in public discourse when we don’t forget to seek God’s kingdom first. And these very things become our enemy whenever they turn our hearts away from him.
In the end, Jesus Christ is the King of kings, which defines the understanding of your own kingdom, and how you interact with all the realms of influence around you.
