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In the favor of the king
Like many other people, I am interested in the British royal family. The birth of the new Prince George was a particularly exciting event not only for the newlywed parents, but also for the story this little boy carries with him.
I have read books about kings and their courts, and have seen historical documentaries and films. I noticed that the person whose head is wearing the crown leads an insecure life and those who are close to the king, as well. One day they are the king's favorite company and the next they are led to the guillotine. Even the king's closest confidants could not be sure of his loyalty. At the time of Henry VIII, the heads rolled alarmingly often. In days gone by kings arbitrarily decided whether they liked them or not. They often use people to put their own plans into action. The court and sometimes even the entire country held their breath when the king died, because they did not know whether they would be better off with the deceased or the coming monarch.
It is quite easy to see from where the legality in Christian circles comes from and why we confuse God's being with the qualities of leaders, fathers and other authorities. For those who lived in a monarchy, the king was almost on a par with God. What he said was law and everyone was dependent on his grace, even though he believed he was too far away to be seen.
If we do not understand who God is, we may also believe that his laws are arbitrary, that we are dependent on his anger, and that if we stay far enough away from him we will not be seen. After all, he is too busy to take care of each one. He is far away, somewhere in the sky. Or, we believe to be sure, if we do everything to his will: many people believe that they can only gain their favor by being good enough for God. But God is not like earthly kings. He governs the universe with love, grace and goodness. He does not act arbitrarily and does not play games with our lives.
He appreciates and respects us as the children he has created. He does not decide who lives and who dies on a whim, but allows us to fully live our lives and make our own decisions, for better and for worse.
No one of us, no matter what decision he makes, has to worry about whether we are in the favor of our King Jesus or not. We live in and through the grace of God, which is eternal, loving and complete. God's grace has no limits. He does not give it to us in one day and the next time he takes it back to us. We do not have to earn anything from him. His grace is always available, always abundant and unconditional, as is God's love. Under the love and care of our king, we need not worry about our head, because we are always in his favor.
by Tammy Tach
