Some years ago there was a popular song about righting all the wrongs in the world. I don’t remember all the words, but the gist of it was “If I were king of the world, I would do things differently.” There would be no more war, or hate, or suffering, or any of the other evils that plague our planet.
It was a noble thought, at least on the surface, but it failed to take into consideration one important factor: God has given each of us free will, free choice. In that sense, we are each “kings of the world.” We may not rule over the whole world or be able to make a visible impact on the grand scheme of things, but it is given to us to rule our own personal world. Depending on how well we do at that, we may then be able to have a positive impact on the world around us.
As kings and queens we have both dominion and responsibility. Queen Elizabeth I of England said, “To be a king and wear a crown is a thing more glorious to them that see it than it is pleasant to them that bear it.” In other words, it’s not always easy to rule, especially not wisely and righteously.
In fact, if you will take an honest look at your realm, I think you will realize that it’s humanly impossible to always rule well. You can’t always get it right, nor can you expect those around you to. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory [perfection] of God.” 1
But the good news is that although we can’t do it, God can and wants to do it through us. 2 That is not to say that we will be perfect from one moment to the next, but moment by moment He will give us the love, humility, wisdom, understanding, and everything else we need to “rule righteously” if we ask Him to.