“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’” -Matthew 25:41-43

Jesus is our savior, redeemer, shepherd, comforter, lover of our souls–yes! But far too many of us forget that He is also our Lord and King. God is our loving Father, but He is not a genie for us to keep inside a lamp and only let out when we need comfort and consolation. We must subject every part of our lives to His Lordship–our work, our play, our finances, our time, our talents, our sexuality, etc. None of these things are from us; they are all gifts given by our King to be used according to His will. Jesus tells us in Mt. 7:21, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.'” Are we subjecting our lives to the “will of the Father” every day? Are we doing all that our King tells us, which includes seeing Him in the least among us and caring for them? Your faithful practice of seeking and serving Christ in church is meaningless if every day you pass by the hungry, thirsty, unloved, naked, ill, and imprisoned and you fail to see Christ in them; to use the blessings God has given you to show them His love. Take a moment of silent prayer today and offer all that you are, all that you have, to the Kingship of Christ. Let us do as He instructs and allow Him to truly live in and through each of us. +