Do We Really Want to Reign

What a great question, and one that I can identify with. It seems as though what I see from “leaders” in this world is not really something that I would want to do or be. I will say that I am leader in my house and in my role in my work. Yet, what I see in “leaders” in the world is not what I expect. And, frankly, when I am in the New Heaven and New Earth, I am told that I will be able to rest, being a leader does not seem like rest.

“²⁸Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28 (ESV)

Yes, Jesus says the above, and if you only look a the one verse, you will get the sense that rest is indeed what we will have. But we would be looking at things from a very narrow perspective.

Think of it this way. What is it that you like to do more than anything else and you seem to get lost in yourself and that thing to the tune that time seems to pass quickly. You may be completely worn out at the end of the time, but you look forward to that thing again and again and again. This is the idea that if you love what you do, it is not work. You find joy in the actions and want to do them more and more.

Well, this is what it will be like in the New Heaven and New Earth. I will be focused on the joy of God that whatever role I am tasked to take on will be glorious and I will find much joy in it. It will be light work from the perspective of on my soul. It may have difficulty in the task, but it will bring joy that I am working for the LORD. See below the next two verses from Jesus.

“²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:29-30 (ESV)

Jesus tells us that when we are in with Him, all things will be lighter since He has taken the heavy load upon Himself.

Reigning in the New Heaven and New Earth will not be a burden. We will be doing so from a position of the “family business” as Randy Alcorn indicates in my study. And since we are in the family of God, we are rulers with Him and each other.

But what about the challenges that come with ruling? A truly valid question. Well, there will not be any. Why you say. As we are all there to do the will of God, only need someone to direct us of where and what. Remember, there is no sin in the New Heaven. There won’t be any animosity. There won’t be any push back. There won’t be any insubordination. There will only be getting the work done in worship to the LORD so we can get back to worship of the LORD.

But, I don’t want people to be telling me what to do. I hear you, and that will not be the case. We will be receiving direction not orders. We will know of what needs to be done, and there will be someone there to direct us as to where it is to be done. And we will be directing others of where.

The New Heaven and New Earth will be filled with rulers (us) and filled with subjects (us). “We’ll be governed by Christlike rulers, and all of us will be under the grand and gracious government of Christ Himself” – Randy Alcorn

What view do you have of ruling? Are you of the school of slave driving authoritarians? What if you embraced ruling in the New Heaven and New Earth as doing that thing that brings you joy, bringing glory to God?

Devote to All the Family

“¹⁶But Ruth said, ‘Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.’” – Ruth 1:16 (ESV)

Here we find Ruth declaring her full devotion to Naomi. It seems like this would be the easy and normal thing, to devote yourself to someone fully. But, the context of the devotion is even more telling. Ruth was the daughter-in-law to Naomi and her husband had died, as had the husband of Naomi and the other daughter-in-law Orpah. There was nothing keeping them all together as the custom was for the daughter-in-law to return to their family, and Orpah did. Ruth however, overcame the custom and the peer pressure and remained devoted to Naomi.

This is the devotion we are to have to one another. My wife and I are in our 50s at this point in our lives. We love one another and are devoted to one another. If something were to happen to me, I would not expect Lori to devote herself to my mother or family as she has those of her own and I am sure that she would not expect that of me either. But, the love we have for one another is not just for one another. We love our families as our families and Lori’s mother is mine and my mother is hers. We are devoted to one another’s families as we are to our own.

The same is the case in our lives with Christ. We are a son and daughter of Christ and are devoted to Him and our extended Christian family as we are to one another. I will go where the Father sends me and Lori will do the same. When it comes to our relationship with Christ, Ruth does put it best in verse 16 above.

What does your devotion look like? Are you committed for the short while? What if your were fully devote to one another and to the LORD as Ruth describes in verse 16 above?

Can’t We as Christians Resolve with Christians

This morning as I was reading and studying, I was reminded that as Christ followers, we are to resolve our differences with other Christ followers with them and not through the law of man. We are all family members and should deal with matters between one another within the family and not involve outsiders. When I have a difference with a brother or sister in Christ I am to go to them and work to resolve as opposed to working through the law of man.

“⁴So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? ⁵I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, ⁶but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers?” — 1 Corinthians 6:4-6 (ESV)

How often have I seen that one family member takes things outside to a third party to involve them in the dealings of the family. In the case of brothers and sisters in Christ, it is no different. I am to go to my brother or sister and work with them in the name of Christ to resolve. And as brothers and sisters, an agreement should be found for all of us are to work for Christ and not for ourselves.

“¹¹And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:11 (ESV)

We are justified by Christ and that gives us the ability to work for His glory and not our own. I know that I have to be reminded that it is He not me that matters. In that I am willing to make concessions to my brothers and sisters and they should be willing to do the same in order to resolve our differences and put God before one another.

There is little if no reason for me to involve man in the affairs of my Christian family. I have to remember that all of me is dedicated to Christ and when working with other Christians, I should work for the LORD in resolving and think of how to impact His work and not my own. I have been justified by Christ and so has my brother or sister in Christ and therefor our actions should not be judged by the law of man, only the law of God. My brothers and sisters are my family and we are able to take care of things in the family and not involve the world.

What differences are getting in the way of your relationships with your brothers and sisters? Are you tending to bring those and work to resolve them through the law of man? What if you kept those things in the family and worked to resolve in the name of Christ, under the law of God for His glory and not your own gain?