Royals

In a dark patch of my life, I really struggled with my identity. I had identified with a number of titles and roles, which no longer described me. It happened around the time I was re-evaluating my career as an engineer despite a ten-year investment in the field.

I knew I was a human, female who loved God, but I doubted my intelligence, my lovability and everything else about myself. “Insecure” is not a word one would use to describe me today, but was probably appropriate then.
I wasn’t sure where to start my new identity process, but I had an idea.

“Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures.” Luke 24:27 CSB

I figured if Jesus found Himself in scripture, it might be a good place for me to start. I looked for descriptions of who I was in Christ and where I belonged in His kingdom in my daily reading. I sought, and I found a verse that told me exactly who I am in Christ Jesus.

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9 CSB

Hmm. There is a lot in that verse, but two things struck me immediately: (1) He was calling me out of darkness and into His light and (2) the term “royal” was more than my broken self could accept. I liked the idea of royalty, but the word always gave me this romantic vision of myself and a prince horseback riding into the sunset. My reality, however, did not look like that.

Building on the idea of royalty, I looked for where I belonged in God’s kingdom, and I came across this verse:

“For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs — heirs of God and coheirs with Christ — if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.” Romans 8:15-17 CSB

Adopted? God’s children? Coheirs with Christ? I though “royal” was a challenging concept and this verse stepped it up a notch. Every kid who grew up in Sunday School knows we are children of God. I thought that meant He was “like” a Father to me; this is saying He is my Father through adoption. Not just any Father, but Abba, as in “Daddy.”

“For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 CSB

Another descriptor is the term “coheirs with Christ.” Jesus is my Brother, and I inherit the kingdom of God with Him? I could not see how. I had grown accustomed to “I’m not worthy” theology; I could not see myself as inheriting anything with the Most High God. Especially in light of who He is, the “Prince of Peace.” Just in case the previous scriptures were not enough to convince me of my royalty in Christ, I found this gem.

“God will bring this about in his own time. He is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see, to him be honor and eternal power. Amen.” 1 Timothy 6:15-16 CSB

So let me get this straight... I am a member of God's royal family; an adopted child of the King of Kings; and coheirs with my Brother Jesus, Son of God and Prince of Peace. Basically, my Father is a King and my Brother is a Prince, which makes me a princess! It means all my brothers and sisters in Christ are princes and princesses, respectively.

To find myself in scripture meant humbling myself with gratitude and receiving a right perspective of who I am in Christ. It meant setting aside the value in all other titles to fully live in my calling as a royal child in God’s kingdom. It meant magnifying His Name over all other names, and finding joy and confidence in who I am as an adopted child in God’s royal family.

If you ask me today, “who are you,” I will tell you I’m a wife, mother, daughter, auntie, friend, ministry leader, intercessor and several other hats I wear with gratitude. What I should say is “I am royalty in Christ Jesus; and if you are a child of God through Christ Jesus, you are too.”