I always thought of "King of the Hill" as a kid's game. You remember, the one where no sooner had you made it to the top and 'bam' you were waylaid, followed by a great view of your usurper from the bottom. Who knew that this childhood pastime was a foretaste of a deeply ingrained human desire to rule and reign.
Embedded in our core is an appetite to rise above the rest, to be atop the heap. The desire to be King fuels pursuit in every sector of our modern day culture. In sports, we call them MVP's and Champions, in business it is Chairman, CEO and Fortune 100, in academics it's valedictorian, and so it goes. We incessantly vie for the top and climb towards titles that declare who is supreme. While there is an upside to healthy competition and ambition, it must be noted that an ugly multidimensional downside emerges when people become obsessed with being king.
In our world's system, leading is about personal gain and glory. In Christ's Kingdom, it is about the good of others and glory of God. If left unchecked, our upward ambition will distance us from people and position us to be at odds with God. When we make it about us we work against God's design to lift us up that we may point people to Him, and no man survives between God and His glory.
As we navigate the business of this life we must remember that in God's economy, the higher we rise, the more we serve. And as we succeed, our soul must remember that in Christ's Kingdom our ascent is about the elevation of those we lead and the exaltation of the Most High God, who is the ultimate King of the Hill.
"When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself." John 6:15
"I glorified you on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me at your side with the glory I had with you before the world was created." John 17:4-5
"He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.“He has come from above and is greater than anyone else." John 3:30-31a
- Micah McElveen