You may have noticed that the Kingdom of God has seemingly conflicting commands in Scripture. For example, we are commanded to be servants of all, and, on the other hand, we are to reign as a king in life through Christ Jesus.
If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all. Mark 9:35
Those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Rom. 5:17
As a king, you are to exercise Kingdom authority. What does that look like? It is the authority to set people free from torment and disease, to destroy the works of the darkness. It is the authority to move the resources of Heaven through creative expression to meet human need. It is the authority to bring Heaven to earth. It is the authority to serve.
I would argue that we really don’t understand what it means to be a servant or a king. That is where Jesus comes in. He is King of all kings, yet the Servant of all. Like our Master we are both royalty and servants (Rev. 1:5; Mark 10:44).
Solomon warns of a potential problem, saying that the earth cannot bear up “under a slave when he becomes king” (Prov. 30:21-22). Yet Jesus contradicted Solomon’s warning by being effective at both. Jesus served with a heart of a king but ruled with the heart of a servant. This is how we must bridge these roles of a servant and a king: Serve like a king and rule like a servant.
Royalty is your identity. Servanthood is your assignment. Intimacy with God is your life source. So, before God, you’re an intimate friend. Before people, you’re a servant. Before the powers of darkness, you are a ruler who exercises dominion with no tolerance for evil. The wisdom of God shows you which role you are to fulfill at the proper time.
Wisdom is the vital ingredient needed to be effective as a servant-king. Wisdom includes: Integrity, Creativity, and Excellence. It is the display of the mind of Christ, always in the context of integrity, that brings forth the creative solutions for life, while holding to the standards of excellence. These three play a vital role in manifesting the Kingdom in ways that honor God and solve the issues of life for humankind.
We have come along side others to serve with integrity, not to take over.
Excellence is a Kingdom value, and is not to be confused with perfectionism, which is a counterfeit and comes from religion. One of the clearest paths to promotion is through excellence. Excellence is Kingdom. Perfectionism is religion.
Remember, royalty is your identity. Servanthood is your assignment. As Jesus served with a heart of a king but ruled with the heart of a servant, so should we.
Activating prayer:Lord, I believe and declare, that you have commanded me to be both a servant of all and to reign as a king in my life. I declare that royalty is my identity and servanthood is my assignment. My intimacy with you, Lord, is my life source. Before you Lord, I am an intimate friend. Before people, I’m a servant. Before the powers of darkness, I’m a ruler with no tolerance for the influence of evil. I have Your wisdom to show me which role I am to fulfill at the proper time. As a king, I exercise Kingdom authority to set people free from torment and disease, to destroy the works of the darkness. I have the authority to move the resources of Heaven in creative ways to meet needs of people. I have authority to bring Heaven to earth. I have the authority to serve. As Jesus served with a heart of a king but ruled with the heart of a servant, so will I. In Jesus Name, Amen!