One of the key battles that every man and woman faces can be summed up in this thought...will I settle for mediocrity or will I press through to royalty?
We are tempted to settle for something less than God’s best for us...often to satisfy a temporary craving. The craving will actually go away if we submit to God in the storm of temptation. Yet the consequences of our choices in these moments of testing can be destiny changing and long lasting. There are enormous consequences to the path we choose.
For Saul, it only seemed fitting to bring Agag, former King of the Amalekites, to his royal dining hall and make him grovel under his table. Wasn’t this the accepted custom when one king defeats another? Yet this decision cost King Saul the throne he had grown accustomed to (see I Samuel 15). Shortly after Samuel delivered God’s message to Saul that the kingship would be taken from him, God directed Samuel to go and anoint Saul’s replacement as the next king of Israel.
You might consider this to be cruel on God’s part, but consider that God is not a man and does not behave rashly. His patience is unsearchable and His wisdom unsurpassed. This decision by God was a result of God knowing all that was in Saul’s heart and how he would not yield to God. The Lord gave Saul an opportunity to reign, but Saul didn’t recognize the importance of following hard after God.
Here is an interesting thought. What would God have done if Saul had truly repented? Could there have been a turning of God’s intention? Would Saul be forgiven and given another chance? Jesus, who is a reflection of God’s own character, taught his disciples that we ought to forgive an offending brother 490 times in a day if necessary. I think the answer is obvious...of course God would have forgiven Saul. But Saul never turned to God with all his heart. There were times when the spirit of the Lord came upon Saul to help him yield himself to God; but these times were short lived episodes and not a lasting way of living for Saul.
This story is a good illustration of what we face in our lives. We have the call from God to reign with Him. He has made us kings and priests unto Him. The Lord has clothed us with the robes of righteousness and has granted us to be co-heirs with Christ in His kingdom. Now we are in the middle of choosing whether this calling becomes our pursuit or if we will settle for satisfying temporary cravings.
Kris Vallotton in his book Supernatural Lifestyle states that if we are to walk as God’s royalty on the earth, it is incumbent upon us to:
- Pray Unceasingly
- Give Sacrificially
- Dream Unreasonably
- Serve Wholeheartedly
- Love Unashamedly
- Walk Innocently
- Believe Undoubtingly
- Live Powerfully
Notice that this list focuses on things we must do, it does not focus on what we should not do. A person who is merely religious focuses on what shouldn’t be done; but a man who is walking in relationship with God is focused on pursuing the king with positive actions and intentions. Saul was caught in the vortex of religious thought...he was worried that his life was being restricted and he was missing out. He could only see what he wasn’t supposed to do. His mindset was hopelessly consumed this way because he wasn’t interested in pursuing relationship with God. Oh what a tragedy this type of thinking can be.
As Christians we are the most unique beings of God’s creation. We were made out of clay and we have been infused with the Spirit of Christ. We are vulnerable, yet possessing the eternal. God is in us. We are anointed to manifest His glory on this earth wherever we go. We are mandated to preach the gospel to the entire earth. And we have been equipped with the same Spirit which raised up Christ Jesus from the dead. We have the same spirit that was with God when he created the heavens and the earth; the same spirit that moved upon the Red Sea and part it is the spirit that God has put in us to fulfill his mandate.
So, here are some questions for you to ponder. Have you settled for something less than God’s royal calling? God can forgive you if you turn with all your heart to Him. Is there a place in your life where you know God is asking you to lay it down...but you have been hesitating because you can’t see what life would be like on the other side? God can give you sight as you step out in faith. Are you stuck in always thinking of what a Christian isn’t supposed to do? I want to introduce you to the most creative and loving being in the universe. He has much to discuss with you.
Christians should be the most creative and innovative beings on the face of the earth. We are the only ones who have the spirit of the living God dwelling in us. Yet in many ways the manifestation of the church in our day has been dull and lifeless. It’s time to rise...it’s time to dream...it’s time to believe...it’s time to pursue.
Come out of mediocrity and enter into royalty!
