A Royal Wedding

Amid all the hooplah this past weekend over William and Kate’s wedding, I began my journey home, back to the US. Over the past few days I have had quite a bit of time sitting around in airport terminals to think about and try to understand everyone’s fascination with such an event. I imagine that there were not a few girls who dreamed of trading places with Kate Middleton and not a few guys who wished they could trade places with Harry (to hit on Kate’s sister, of course) Just kidding. But seriously.

Frankly, I think there are a lot of girls out there who dream of being a princess and I would say there are no shortage of girls who already consider themselves princesses. I know because I have dated a few of them. Needless to say those relationships didn’t last very long; not because they weren’t princesses but because they soon discovered I wasn’t a prince

I do not fault girls for a desire to live royally (or guys for that matter). Indeed, I think that this desire comes from above. C.S. Lewis once said that “God has set eternity in our hearts” and I agree with him. The problem is not that we have a desire to be royalty, it is that our desire for it is here in this life. In Heaven there will be only one king (the Lord) but there will be many princes and princesses (to include all those who have been reconciled to God through faith in Jesus Christ).

Romans 8:14-17 says that “those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God… the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship... The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” Did you get that?!? We will be co-heirs with Christ, the Son of God! What!? Now that is something to look forward to! This is the hope that we have as Christians.

Now the last part of that verse is key. “If indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” What does it mean to share in his sufferings? I can tell you it does not mean self-inflicting pain like some people in the Philippines might think. To share in his sufferings means two things for you in this life: 1) to be obedient to the will of God for your life, to put His desires before your needs, and 2) to love others as yourself, putting others needs before your desires. If you truly follow these two commandments, you will suffer in the sense that you will probably miss out on luxuries that you might otherwise have lavished upon yourself in order to help out someone truly in need. It might mean that you move to Uganda to adopt kids and minister to orphans or to the Dominican Republic to teach at a Christian School. It could simply be volunteering at a soup kitchen in your hometown or even giving money away sacrificially (to the point that you might not be able to buy that thing you wanted).

By living in such a manner you will store up for yourself literal treasure in Heaven! Matthew 6:19-21 says “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal [and where tornados blend all your possessions into dust]. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal [and tornados do not create havoc]. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” I think people in my hometown of Tuscaloosa, Alabama have a new appreciation for what is truly important in life after a few tornados came through and rearranged a few priorities. Compared to health and life, a new outfit or car or whatever is not all that important!

Moses was a man who understood this truth perhaps more than anyone who has ever lived. He grew up in the royal Egyptian court as an adopted son to the daughter of Pharoah. But “by faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible..” (Hebrews 11:24-27).

I hope to be a man who is willing to forego certain pleasures here on earth for the opportunity to become a prince in heaven and I hope to find a wife who thinks similarly..