LORD OF LORDS
Very few people are aware that I’m a Scottish lord. It’s absolutely true … at least technically. Here’s the story. A few years ago my sister must have figured I needed to rise above my ordinary station in life. She discovered a company that sells tiny plots of land in Scotland. We’re talking really tiny—one foot by five feet, to be exact. She purchased a tract for me, which made me a landowner in Scotland, and technically qualified me to be a Scottish lord. Try not to be too impressed. My dining room table is more than twice the size of my vast land holdings. I tried to persuade my family to call me “lord Cargile,” but, alas, they failed to appreciate the grandeur of my nobility. The photo above depicts my “Proclamation of Lordship.”
I appreciate my sister’s thoughtfulness, but seriously, how much do you suppose my lordship has affected my life? Zero. It won’t even get me a free cup of coffee at McDonald’s. Can you imagine me attempting to derive my identity and sense of worth from owning a five square foot piece of land? But isn’t that what we do? We latch onto our accomplishments, possessions, and titles, attempting to acquire some sort of value from them.
Paul wrote in Colossians 3:3-4, “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” When we surrender to Jesus, we die to self, putting to death our selfish ambitions and worldly concerns. Our lives are “hidden with Christ.” He is our identity and destiny, whether we own a million acres, or five square feet of land.
Our very lives are wrapped up in the One who is “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16). Paul makes this clear in Philippians 2:11 when he writes, “At the name of Jesus … every tongue [will] declare that Jesus Christ is Lord.” This includes every legitimate lord, as well as “lord Cargile,” a fake lord is there ever was one.
I chuckle at the novelty that technically I’m Scottish royalty. But there’s only one true Lord. He is exalted above all, and worthy of all our worship. His name is Jesus—King of kings and Lord of lords.
Principle: Jesus Christ is the one true Lord of lords.
Ponder:
What worldly accomplishments do you tend to draw your identity from?
Have you ever surrendered your life to Jesus? Why not do so today?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Colossians 3:1-11.
Lord Jesus, I exalt you as the one and only King of kings and Lord of Lords. Turn my eyes away from the things around me and onto you. Remind me that nothing else is worthy of my worship.
I’m So Excited!! My new book, The Perfect Gift, a Christmas devotional published by Our Daily Bread, was released October 1. Click on “The Perfect Gift” link above to order.
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