Being part of God’s royal family comes with many privileges. Our Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills and there’s no good that we can’t boldly ask him for. All the same, while we are heirs of God, we are also co-heirs with Christ. And he is the King of all kings, which means we have the status of a king ourselves and not merely a prince.
A prince has all the privileges of being in the royal family without yet having to bear the responsibility of the crown. All his needs are taken care of with very little being required of him.
A king on the other hand bears the weight and responsibility of his kingdom. His life is focused on bringing more goodness and light into his realm – willing to sacrifice his very self to accomplish this mission.
All too often we live as an entitled prince. We want to be treated like royalty – having others willingly take care of whatever need or desire we might have. And while perhaps not conscious, part of us often believes that we deserve to be held in such esteem and that others should even be grateful for having the opportunity to serve us.
This is not the way of a king. A king is concerned with fulfilling his duty to be a source of blessing and life for those in his realm. And this is the example Christ himself has set.
We neglect our kingly responsibility and allow those God has given us to suffer when we live merely as an entitled prince. This also diminishes the impact God intended for our kingdom.
In the end, it’s okay to remember you are royalty. But live with the responsibility of a king and not the entitlement of a prince – bringing life to others and not merely selfishly enjoying your privileges.
Photo by Jeremy Perkins on Unsplash
