Game Of Thrones

Opening illustration: Play video “The Stool.”

Introduction: A throne - a seat so magnificent that only an exalted person can occupy it. Many brave warriors have fought and died to claim such throne. It is the place of authority and sovereignty. A throne is the single most important and central piece of furniture in a kingdom. Kings come and go but the throne stays as long as the kingdom exists.

Now imagine you have that throne in your heart. A throne that is being fought for every day. A throne that is so central to your life that who/whatever sits on it rules your heart, passion and desire. Do you know who or what is sitting on that throne? Because the answer to that question drives who you are as a person.

Everyone knows who should, and who should not, sit on the throne.

• If the throne is in Buckingham Palace, we expect the Queen of England to take the throne … not some random visitor to the palace.

• If the throne is in the Oval Office, we look for the President of the United States … not one of the White House interns.

• If the throne is in a court of law, we stand and wait for “Your Honor,” the judge, to take his seat … not the courtroom bailiff.

Why? Because a throne is a special seat. It’s a seat that communicates who is in charge. It’s a seat that shows who deserves special deference in that context. The person on the throne has greater responsibility than everyone else and we expect them to also have greater wisdom befitting such responsibility. The other seats bend to the throne and when there is a conflict between opinions, the person on the throne has the last word.

Every one of us has our own throne room. No, I’m not talking about the big chair in your living room, or the seat at the head of your dining room table and certainly not the “porcelain throne” in your bathroom! Your throne is in your heart and in the throne room of your heart, every decision passes for judgment. Who or what ever sits on the throne of your heart determines the direction of your life.

Do you know who sits on the throne of your heart? Here are some questions to help you discover who or what is enthroned in your heart. Slowly ponder and answer these questions:

• Who do I most want to please?

• Whose opinion matters most to me?

• Who am I absolutely unwilling to disappoint?

• Who do I sacrifice the most for?

I would follow this person anywhere. So, who is it? Who’s on the throne? Is it your spouse? Your boss? Your Mom? OR Whoever? When asked how we should set priorities, most Christians will give the Sunday School answer: "God first, then family, then ministry, then everything else." But in day-to-day living, how often do we practice this?

Who sits on the throne of your heart?

1. People (Matthew 8:21-22; 10:37)

If I asked you today what is the most important thing in your life what would your answer be. Many times, we instantly answer our family, wives, husbands, kids etc. In the past I have put family on the throne of my heart and that lead to serious problems between us. Would you go home every day and tell you wife she is #2. The point being that God is #1. When my parents learnt that they are not #1 in my life, it was all out war. It offends all those you love. Are you in or out? In fact, in Matthew 8:21-22; 10:37 Jesus reminded his disciples about this very thing.

Let’s not forget Martha prioritized what she had to get done; Mary prioritized her relationship with Jesus, who taught us a lesson that still applies today: Don’t let busyness interfere with relationships. Choose people over things but God above all. I know this is not always easy. I struggle with this imbalance daily because I know that if I only focus on people, my work will never get done. But if I focus solely on tasks, I do so at the expense of relationships. So, what’s a guy to do? Many a times our parents, spouse, grandparents and even children become our idols. They take the place of God on the throne of our hearts. In such circumstances, God either takes a second place or is out of the frame and is left in some cold corner of our heart. When family or friends become our idols, at some point they fail us (because they are mortal) and then eventually we run to God. We only run to Him when everything else fails. Why do we not make Him the king of our hearts right from the beginning?