Missional Communities

The engagement between Prince William and Kate Middleton has hit the headlines recently, and

I’ve been wondering what it will feel like for Kate to become part of the royal family, with all their joys and imperfections...which in turn raises an interesting question:

Are we living in the reality of the fact that we have already been made a part of something far greater than anything Kate will experience?!

1 Peter 2:9 says “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God...”

These four wonderful descriptions of our identity as the people of God each warrant an article/sermon in their own right, never mind Paul’s description of us as the (royal) bride of Christ. But I’d like to share a few thoughts on what it means to be part of THE ROYAL FAMILY OF GOD as this is something the Lord has been specifically speaking to me about recently. (For more on this topic I recommend reading “The Supernatural Ways of Royalty” by Kris Vallotton & Bill Johnson).

I’d really not fully appreciated how important the royal part of my identity in Jesus is until recently. I’d also not appreciated just how important growing up in Pharaoh’s palace was for Moses, or how significant the royal training Daniel received was, or the preparation Esther underwent in the royal courts. All these people influenced nations and changed the course of history because they came to understand this was their God-given destiny. They learned the ways and the expectations of royalty. Let’s take Moses as an example – how significant was the fact that Moses was brought up as the King’s son rather than a Hebrew slave?

When Moses was in Pharaoh’s household he did not relate to others with a slave mentality – he knew he had the rights and influence of a royal prince and would have expected people to respond to him accordingly. He also had the compassion (a quality found in all Godly leaders) for his Hebrew brothers, but hadn’t learned how to channel his anger over injustice in an appropriate, God –honouring way. Although the lessons in humility and Godly character Moses learned in his wilderness years were hugely important, the fact that Moses did not have a slave mentality himself but knew where he had come from (and to Whom he truly belonged) were just as important in enabling him to fulfil his destiny of setting a nation free - a person who is in slavery internally cannot free those who are in slavery externally.

It’s interesting to ponder – if you actually were Prince William (or Kate Middleton), and had grown up being constantly told you were destined, yes for a life of service to your king and country but also for a life of great influence – how would this affect the way you thought and lived?

The fact is, whatever our previous experience may be, and however insignificant we may have felt in the past, Jesus has made us a part of His royal family and has called us to greatness! As Princes and Princesses we have the authority of the King of all Kings! And ours is no dysfunctional royal family with its relational distance, politics and protocols – we are invited to share with The King the same intimacy of relationship that a bride shares with her husband – INCREDIBLE! We can live in the permanent presence, grace and favour of our King.

As we think about our identity in Jesus this term, my prayer is that any shreds of a slave’s mentality in our minds would be broken, and that we would be able to see afresh the royal robes in which we are clothed! Those robes are not just a reminder that we are loved, accepted & adopted, and that righteousness and not sin is now our master, they also signify our royal authority to rule and extend the reign & the Kingdom of The King.

It would be an honour to find myself in Kate Middleton’s position. But it can’t possibly compare to the honour I already feel as Princess in The King’s Palace!

Lindsay Lonchar