When you heard fairytales as a child, did you ever daydream about being the beautiful princess, the handsome prince, or the brave knight? They seemed to have such enchanted lives, and of course they always “lived happily ever after.”
Today as the world anticipates the upcoming marriage of Britain’s Prince William and Kate, we experience again a little of the fairytale enchantment that surrounds royalty. And we may wonder what it would be like to be born into wealth, rank and privilege, to have our destiny appointed and secured before our birth.
It is true that royalty does enjoy wealth and many privileges, but being born into a royal lineage does not automatically make you a king or queen. The son or daughter of royalty must learn how to be a royal. They are raised up to be royalty.
Think for a moment of historic kings and queens who had true leadership. They had to learn about their kingdom, for it was the sphere of authority in which they ruled. As young children they had tutors who taught them not only academics, but the protocol of royalty, that is the behaviors expected of monarchs, and the traditions of their own kingdom and family line. They learned warfare skills because it was their responsibility to protect the kingdom and advance the interests of their realm.
Monarchs were most secure when they used their dominion wisely and fairly. They had to learn to rule by issuing and enforcing decrees that would protect citizens and promote their welfare. This was the best way to insure safety and prosperity in the kingdom. A monarch could never forget that everywhere they went they were representing the kingdom. Their character and lifestyle were direct reflections on the monarchy and the kingdom.
I think part of our fascination with royalty is the awareness, buried deep in our unconscious, that each of us is created to be royalty. Genesis 1:26-27 states: “God said, ‘Let us make human beings in Our image, to be like Ourselves. They will reign over the fish, the birds, the livestock and all wild animals. So God created human beings in His Own image, male and female He created them.”
Our original state of royal dominion was lost when Adam and Eve sinned and fell from their position of rank and privilege. But Jesus made it clear in His earthly ministry, that He came to restore us to the kingdom and our royal authority. The apostle Peter wrote to Christians in the first century: “You are a chosen people. You are royalty, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. You can show others the goodness of God, for He has called you out of darkness into His kingdom of light.”
God is calling us back to our royal dominion, but like any monarch we must learn about the kingdom and how to correctly use our authority. God provides us with a divine tutor, the Holy Spirit, who helps us to understand our authority and destiny in God’s kingdom. He invites us to use our dominion not only for ourselves, but to set others free and open the kingdom and its privileges to them as well. We are called to be kings and liberators!
Come and join us this Sunday at 10:30 AM as we continues the discussion of our destiny and our responsibilities of rulership in God’s kingdom. My sermon “Raising Up Royalty” is Part 2 in our “preparing for the Harvest” series.
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