Live Like a King

Do you live like a king? I am not talking about ego and extravagance. I’m talking about sphere of influence and responsibility.

There is a sense in which every one of us is called to live like a king, to exercise wisdom and justice in the ‘kingdom’ over which we have authority. The size of my kingdom may be quite small. But it does not relieve me of the responsibility to take responsibility over that realm,no matter its size. 

It might be as small as your own little life. But you are responsible for the choices that you make - for what you allow and disallow - for rules of engagement, and the pursuit of integrity. 

This may involve your role with your family. We must remember that others in our household are kings in their own right, and that we may be in the process of helping them learn to exercise wisdom and justice in their own spheres. But I remember many occasions when my dad would walk past the TV in front of which we were sitting, and turning it off because he deemed what was going on inappropriate. He was living like a king. He was guarding his realm.

Psalm 101, from which the verse above is taken, is David’s manifesto declaring how he would rule his kingdom with regard to moral integrity. It is rather brutal. It is not tolerant. But he was determined to be the king of his kingdom, and to rule accordingly. Further, David knew that he was accountable not merely to himself. He was accountable to God for how he ruled his kingdom, acknowledging that he was but an ‘under-king,’ and that God is the King of the Kingdom, of which all our little kingdoms are but subsets. And so will we. We will answer to God for how we live our lives, and how we rule our kingdoms.

Again, I am not saying that we are to arrogantly seek to extend our authority into the lives of people where it does not belong. I am not in charge of your beliefs, or your morals. But there certainly are lines of authority and responsibility that extend to family, and work, and community, according as we have been assigned or employed. 

A leadership author speaks of areas in which we are to be ‘ridiculously in charge.’ He allows no room for the abdication of responsibility, and the resulting excuse-making and blame-placing. Live like a king! Take charge of your kingdom!