After the Miracle

Today's Devotional Thought
May 22, 2012 by Rachel Piferi

Privilege and Responsibility

I ran across something this weekend that I just must share with all of you. It is called "The Parable About the King." It is by Beth Moore and you can hear her reading the short parable below.

As I listened to it, I got tears in my eyes as I reflected on its powerful theme that we are princesses in God's kingdom. As I listened to the story, I was reminded of the immense privilege and responsibility we all have as women of God.

As you listen to the story, you will hear about a princess who is disgruntled with the life of a princess. She doesn't want to do what the King is asking of her and she decides it just isn't worth it anymore. She wants to live like everyone else. She doesn't want to live like a princess.

As I listened to it, I smiled at how often I must have acted like that with God. How many times have I told him that I don't want to live like a member of his divine kingdom. I don't want to follow his rules {even though they really are better for me, I seem to have an adolescent princess-y way about me and I stomp my feet sometimes}.

God, I don't want to forgive this person.

God, I don't want to bite my tongue and act meek when I am being attacked.

God, I don't want to turn the other cheek.

God, I am tired and I don't want to step out into something new.

God, I want to handle this myself. I don't want to trust you.

God, I don't want to be a princess. It's too hard.

So often when we talk about God's kingdom, we focus on the privilege of spending eternity with him in Heaven. However, belonging to God's kingdom does not start when we leave this world. It starts the first day we turn our lives over to him. And, on that day, we gain access to all of the privileges that his kingdom entails. We gain strength when we are weak. We gain protection from our foes. We gain forgiveness and grace when we mess up. We are so very privileged to be members of God's kingdom, not just when we cross into eternity, but today on this Earth. With all of life's trials and temptations and struggles, we are princesses with access to kingdom resources.

We also, sweet friends, gain a great responsibility to represent the kingdom well. There are great benefits to belonging to God's kingdom. But there is also great responsibility to represent our King well to those around us. To forgive. To act meek. To give to others. Ultimately, to act like the royalty that we are.

But you know what? In the beauty of God's sovereignty, even the responsibility of acting like he asks us to act is actually best for us. Even in our obedience, he is rewarding us with kingdom riches.

Towards the end of this parable, the King says to his princess daughter: "You are mine. But child, you will never be happy until you accept both the privilege and the responsibility of belonging to me."

May you hear that statement today and visualize God saying that to you, his princess daughter. You have great privilege as his daughter. And great responsibility too. May you accept both today with such gratitude as you reflect on the fact that you are a daughter of the King.

"The King's daughter is all glorious within; Her clothing is interwoven with gold."
~Psalm 45:13