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Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? (Matthew 2:1-2 NKJV)

“You’re grounded.” When I announced the punishment for breaking the rules in my house, chaos followed.

“Go to your room.”

After she slammed her bedroom door, shaking the house, she screamed as loud as she could. Sounds of banging and crashing followed. More chaos ensued.

As Christians, we don’t throw tantrums each time we don’t get our way, but we will face the consequences when we don’t line up with our King.

Everyone loves the baby King Jesus, cute and cuddly in His swaddling cloths. Christmas cards portray a heavenly glow surrounding the baby King in the manger. Babies grow up. How do we celebrate Jesus Christ as King?

What comes to mind when you think of Jesus as our King? He doesn’t rule with an iron fist, but like parents, He sets rules and boundaries we must obey. That goes against the grain of our culture. We rule our worlds. We are the kings and queens of our own castles.

Why should we celebrate King Jesus all year long? We cannot access His full power until we respond to Him as King. We want Him to deliver us from depression, but we can’t relinquish that tidbit of gossip. We want Him to fill our hearts with peace whenever troublesome storms arise, but do we extend His love to others? We want Him to give, give, give, but do we give to Him?

We resemble rebellious teenagers more than we’d like to admit.

When we come to Jesus as Savior, He gives us eternal life in heaven, but when we respond to Christ as King, we bring a little bit of heaven down to earth.  You might be thinking, “Carolyn, that sounds good, but how do I do that?”

We can begin by correcting behavior we know doesn’t please King Jesus. He wants to help us live holy, obedient lives. The Holy Spirit indwells us in order to guide us. How well do we listen to His promptings? Maybe He tells us to visit the shut-in down the street, but do we follow through? Do we allow Him to rule every area of our lives? Do we go to Him with questions before getting everyone else’s opinion?

Before salvation, we ruled our lives, but now we have a King. Christianity isn’t about following rules. It’s about following our Ruler, King Jesus.

This is your moment of decision. Will you remove self from the throne and honor King Jesus?

Lord Jesus, You are my King and Lord. I confess I’ve refused to give You full reign over every area of life. I’ve kept them hidden away so I can continue ruling there. But nothing is hidden from You. Today, I commit my life totally to You. Show me what to do and help me do it. I submit to Your ways, because once You control my life, peace will ensue. Amen.

DIG DEEPER

Read Matthew 6:33 NKJV:

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

HIKING THE TRAIL

What is one area you need to relinquish to King Jesus right now? Is it a bad decision you are about to make? Is it something you shouldn’t do, or is it something you really need to do, but you haven’t followed through?

RELATED RESOURCE

Celebrate each day of Advent with a quick devotion based on the names of Jesus. Each reading reflects on a name of the Savior from a biblical and historical perspective. Learn more here!

Originally posted on December 3, 2021 @ 3:00 am