As women in God’s Church, we often hear sermons reminding us that we are to become members of God’s Family and will have the awesome responsibility of serving as kings and priests. This promise is not just for the men in God’s Church; it is a promise that God has made to Christian women as well. Our reward for being faithful is to rule over cities (Luke 19:11–19) as priests of the Melchizedek order (Revelation 5:10; Hebrews 7:17). God has said that we—that includes you and me—will be kings and priests, and it will happen.
Yet I have seen, over the years, that many women feel uncomfortable with the idea of being in such high positions of authority. They don’t feel that their present roles and responsibilities can prepare them to take on the challenges of ruling a city and teaching its people God’s way of life. That’s why this article is titled “Kings and Priests—Really!” Yes, really! Let’s briefly examine how our duties as ordinary women prepare us to be kings and priests in tomorrow’s world.
Influential Service
It is generally agreed that leadership, empathy, and communication skills are among the qualities a ruler should exhibit. Believe it or not, our roles as wives, mothers, and homemakers are the perfect training grounds to learn—and then to teach—these skills. Some women may think of a strong leader as one who is bossy or aggressive, which certainly is how many female leaders in modern media are depicted. However, this is not the criterion for a godly leader.
Leadership, as a practical skill, involves the ability to guide, inspire, and influence others. As you interact with your husband, your children, and others in the community, your positive example acts as a light, a guide (Matthew 5:14–16). The words of wisdom you contribute to conversations inspire and encourage others (1 Thessalonians 5:11). Your role as a mother is that of the ultimate influencer as you help to mold and shape the next generation. Believe it or not, we, as Christian women, are leaders.
There are many leadership styles, but the style Christ emphasized is servant leadership. Jesus said that the way to be great in the Kingdom is to serve (Mark 9:33–35). The Living Church of God teaches this principle for all its members—men and women. Preparing meals to feed our families, doing laundry, and taking children to appointments may at times seem like drudgery, but all of that is serving. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, set us the example; He came to this earth as a human being to serve all mankind (Mark 10:45).
Through sacrificing our own time and energy to take care of others, we are preparing to be the type of servant leader that God wants as part of His family. Can you think of any job that requires more serving than that of a homemaker? Let’s serve with gladness of heart, knowing that our service not only benefits others today—it also prepares us to rule in the Kingdom of God.
Understanding and Insight
While godly rulers must show leadership, they must temper their judgments with mercy and kindness, showing empathy and compassion for their subjects. Women, especially Christian women, generally seem to have a natural tendency toward kindness and compassion. Why is it that a child who is hurt cries out for his mother? It is because, at those times, no one else can satisfy him—he is looking for sympathy that only his mother can provide.
When you comfort a friend who is troubled, you are practicing what you will be doing as a king ruling with Christ in the Millennium. Can you imagine the emotional and physical pain the survivors of the Great Tribulation and Day of the Lord will have? They will often need a shoulder to cry on, not always a rod of iron. We, as kings, will comfort them—and we show God our willingness to do so at that time by giving comfort to others now. In this, we are imitating God the Father and Jesus Christ, who are filled with compassion and mercy (Psalm 86:15). We can see clearly that the empathy and compassion we express as Christian women are preparing us to be rulers in the Kingdom of God.
Being able to communicate well is another important trait of a ruler. When we think of the web of interpersonal connections a homemaker has, we can see how God is developing in us good communication skills. We interact with family, teachers, doctors, coaches, friends, and more—often conveying communications from one person to another in our personal sphere. If you have ever negotiated a truce between siblings, explained house rules to a teenager, or patched things up with a friend, you were learning and practicing communication skills that will serve you well as a ruler over your cities.
Praying, Teaching, and Doing
As members of the God Family, each of us will be part of a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). You will be both a king and a priest. Aaron and his sons were chosen by God to be priests, and we can learn much about our jobs as future priests by examining the duties the Levitical priesthood performed.
One of those duties was to intercede with God on behalf of the people by offering sacrifices. Our priestly duties will also include making intercession to God on behalf of the people. We know this because Jesus Christ, our High Priest, makes intercession to the Father for us (Romans 8:34). When we offer intercessory prayers to the Father—for our families, for the Work, for the brethren, and for our nations—we are perfecting the duty we will perform as priests before the Lord.
Another very important responsibility of the Levitical priesthood was to teach the people God’s commandments, statutes, and judgments. As the saying goes, you cannot teach what you do not know. Women in God’s Church have the opportunity to “sit at the feet of” His ministers and be taught God’s ways. Just as Mary of Bethany chose to sit at Jesus’ feet to learn, we can choose to make the most of our opportunities to read Church literature, listen to sermons, and take notes. Do we study the Bible daily? Have we proven to ourselves what we believe? Can we explain why we believe what we believe?
Often, it is not until we begin rearing our own children that we truly start to realize the depth of understanding required to teach a subject. This inevitably influences how we study the Bible. How deep is our understanding? Being able to memorize facts and phrases is not the same as having an in-depth understanding of God’s laws and His way of life—and we will need this understanding to fulfill our priestly responsibilities in tomorrow’s world. We must make Bible study a priority; our personal Bible study is preparing us to be priests in the Kingdom of God.
It is vital that we know God’s laws, statutes, and judgments, but if the knowledge is not put into action, what have we accomplished? Knowledge just for knowledge’s sake leads to pride (1 Corinthians 8:1), and God hates a prideful attitude (Proverbs 6:16–19). The Father is calling His sons and daughters to put into practice the things He is teaching us. By putting knowledge into practice, we gain an even deeper understanding of God’s ways and learn to be more effective teachers (Psalm 111:10).
We must strive to live by every word of God and to overcome our human nature through the power of the Holy Spirit that is in us. God is testing us and staying beside us as we struggle through our trials. Just as Christ learned from the things He suffered (Hebrews 5:8), our tests prepare us for the awesome responsibility of being royal priests. Those who overcome are promised a position of rulership with Christ (Revelation 3:21).
Be Anxious for Nothing—Be Ready to Lead
Some might be thinking that while what we have discussed so far is all well and good, it is only on a very small scale. You may feel that though you might be fulfilling these duties for your family, you could not fulfill them for a whole city.
Remember, though, that God always starts out small. If you can exercise leadership, show empathy and compassion, practice communicating with others, offer intercessory prayers, study the Bible, and put what you learn into practice in your circle of influence, then God knows He can trust you to do the same on a bigger scale. “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much” (Luke 16:10).
Others may be thinking, Yeah, but I know nothing about global finances, infrastructure, or anything like that. But we should not worry about these technical details. So many details in God’s Kingdom will need to change anyway—because we will be building on a new foundation. What knowledge we lack will be provided. Remember, God knows everything there is to know. He is calling men and women out of this world to learn His ways, walk in integrity, and capture the vision that His plan of salvation offers (Isaiah 66:2). What He is concerned about now is whether we are developing godly character (Micah 6:8).
When we consider the roles and responsibilities God has given women, it is plain to see that He really is preparing us to rule in His Kingdom as kings and priests. We will not be given lesser roles because we are women (Galatians 3:28). In fact, one could almost think that God has given women an inside track! Yes, we are to be kings and priests—really!