Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
I like to be on the throne of my life and I’m sure you do too. I like to be in charge and give orders. I like to know what’s going on and have control of it. I like it when I get my way and my “kingdom”, whatever that might consists of, grows. I like being in charge and getting on the throne.
But I have to confess to you, I’m tired of it. I’m tired because it doesn’t work. I’m tired because I can’t always control everything. I’m tired because I don’t always get things my way, and sometimes (ok, often times) when I get things my way it backfires. I really don’t know how to be king of my life because usually that means I become very self-centered and not others-centered. I’m tired of being the king and sitting on the throne of my life. I’m done. And that’s good, because I’m not the king nor can I be king nor do I have to be. And neither do you.
Jesus gave his people a prayer we call the Lord’s Prayer. In that prayer, he shares with us the way we are to pray and one phrase sticks out to me.
YOUR kingdom come.
YOUR will be done.
That is our prayer as people of God. God, we want your kingdom to come, not ours. We want YOU to be the king, not us. We want YOUR will to be done and not ours.
And that is a good thing. It’s good because God is God and can do all things, even rule my life and yours. It’s good because he loves us through his Son, our Savior Jesus. It’s good because he doesn’t tire. He doesn’t want to give up nor abdicate his throne. It’s good because when God is the king of your heart, life doesn’t deteriorate into chaos, but flows beautifully according to his good and gracious will.
Take off your crown and step down. Abdicate your seat on the throne of your heart. There’s only room for one king and that king can’t be you. It can’t be me. It’s God. And that’s a good thing.