week 4: faithfulness
Wednesday
Faithfulness is for a King
”But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”
Galatians 4:4-7
This past year I started watching a show called The Crown. It is about the reign of Queen Elizabeth and is aimed at giving viewers an inside look at what she went through during her reign. I find it fascinating, and although I am sure it is not totally historically accurate, I have learned so much about the importance she placed on keeping their family legacy and holding firm on tradition and rules. Some of those rules I found to be quite interesting. One rule in particular is that when you are dining with the queen, you have to stop eating when she does. Some other interesting ones are about specific colors of nail polish the women of the royal family are allowed to wear and another about the royal family not being allowed to eat seafood.
Hearing about these rules out of the context make them sound silly, trivial, or irrelevant; but to the queen and the protection of the family name they are vital. Oftentimes other members of the royal family will go out on trips on behalf of the queen. Even when they are out traveling they are told to abide by the family rules because they are a walking embodiment of the queen. Anything they do could have the potential to disgrace or honor the standing of the queen.
So why are you getting a lesson on Queen Elizabeth and the royal family? As Christians we are also royalty. We are heirs to the throne of grace and daughters of the King of all Kings.
Because of our standing as royalty we are to act and behave not on our own free will, but on behalf of the King. We are to represent the King in our thoughts, actions, and words. We are to be faithful to our King. When we talk about faithfulness, other synonyms that pop up for this word are devotion, loyalty, and commitment. So what exactly are we committing to being faithful about as Christians? Christianity is based first on faith that God is God of all, and secondly that through Christ Jesus we can be forgiven and are saved, redeemed, and adopted heirs. Our faithfulness is a commitment to adhere to the God who is true and supreme and to keep His commandments and honor His name. Faithfulness to God means having a willingness to lose everything for His sake because of your love for Him and what he has done for you. Being faithful to the King is not just a Sunday gig, but a lifetime of service and dedication, because everywhere we go we have the ability to disgrace or positively represent our family name, “the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” Philippians 2:9-10.
Questions to Ponder:
Do you act as if you are a part of God’s royal family? Why or why not?
What ways have you been faithful to your King? What ways have you been unfaithful?
Today’s Reading: