Prince George was born on this day in 2013. The first child of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (known as Prince William and Kate Middleton, of course), he was born at St. Mary’s Hospital in London, England.
Two days later, the royal family announced his full name: His Royal Highness Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge. He is third in the line of succession to the British throne behind his grandfather and father. For the first time in more than a century, three generations of direct heirs are now alive at the same time.
The privilege and responsibility of your royal status
Prince George was born into royalty. Similarly, Christians are born again into an even more significant royal family. The Bible says of us, “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).
When we ask Jesus to forgive our sins and become our Savior, we are “born again” (John 3:3) as the “children of God” (John 1:12; cf. Romans 8:16). As a result, Scripture says of us, “If children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17).
Many years ago, a counselor shared this maxim with me: “I am not who I think I am. I am not who you think I am. I am who I think you think I am.”
Let’s apply this perspective to God: we are who he thinks we are. And he thinks that we are his children, members of his royal family, and heirs with our Savior of eternal life in paradise.
This is an important fact to remember in these days. Evangelical Christians are more maligned today that at any time in my lifetime. Never before has our culture embraced unbiblical, sinful immorality as normative on the level it does today. Never before have those who believe in orthodox, historic biblical morality been so castigated, ridiculed, and marginalized.
In such times, it is vital that we remember our true identity as members of God’s royal family. And it is vital that we live in ways that bring glory to our Father and our spiritual family.
No matter how people treat you or your faith today, respond to them in a manner befitting your status as a child of the King. No matter what our culture thinks about God’s word, remember that your life is the Bible they are most likely to read.
C. S. Lewis noted: “The outer world is quite right to judge Christianity by its results. Christ told us to judge by results. A tree is known by its fruit; or, as we say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. When we Christians behave badly, or fail to behave well, we are making Christianity unbelievable to the outside world.”
By contrast, when we live in ways that reflect the grace of God and character of Jesus, others are drawn to the One we love and serve.
A. W. Tozer noted: “As the excellence of steel is strength, and the excellence of art is beauty, so the excellence of mankind is moral character.”
Will your character reflect your royal stature today?