Princess Diaries - Walk by Faith

I just love watching the movie "Princess Diaries". Last night it was aired on the Hallmark Channel and I couldn't pass up an opportunity to watch it. Today in church I heard the Lord talking to me about the movie.

The transformation of Mia Thermopolis, played by Anne Hathaway, as she becomes who she is by heritage is stunning. She doesn't know it yet but she is the granddaughter of Queen Clarisse Renaldi and next heir in line to the throne of Genovia. As far as she knows, Mia is just an awkward teenager growing up in San Francisco. When her grandmother comes to America to retrieve her so that she can take her rightful place as princess, Mia's response is "Shut up!"

Watch this short clip as Mia's true identity is revealed to her by her grandmother.

About half way through this clip is the "Shut up!" scene. "...You got the wrong girl. I never lead anybody. Not at Brownies, Not at Campfire Girls. Um...Queen Clarisse, my expectation in life is to be invisible, and I'm good at it." The queen encourages her that she can indeed teach Mia to be a proper princess.

It's not a perfect analogy but I see Queen Clarisse as the Holy Spirit who is the one sent to remain with us after Christ ascended after his resurrection to teach us and remind us of all things. The Holy Spirit's job is to teach us to be a Royal Priesthood.

If you doubt your heritage just keep reading. In Ephesians 2:1-10 we are told that we are raised up with Christ and seated with him in heavenly realms.

1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephsians 2:1-10

This clip ends with a powerful statement that the Lord has replayed in my mind over and over.

Queen Clarisse Renaldi: Helen, if Amelia refuses to accept the throne, then Genovia will cease to exist as we know it.
Helen Thermopolis: So the future of your country is in the hands my 15-year-old?

Some would argue that since God is sovereign He doesn't need us to accomplish His purposes on this earth, but I believe that it is because He is sovereign that somehow he has chosen mankind to accomplish His purposes on this earth. We are called to be "ministers of reconciliation".

16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 NIV

He has committed to us, to you, to me the message of reconciliation, as though God were making his appeal through us.

It's not enough to "click on the 'I Agree' button" to salvation and not take the time to understand what we are entitled to in our covenant, our inheritance, by faith. We need to know this not only for ourselves but as ambassadors of our heavenly kingdom.

In the movie, Princess Diaries, Mia is completely made over from head to toe, educated in matters of diplomacy, royal table manners, how to walk, talk, even how to royal wave! She was a princess by birth but she needed to be educated on how to carry herself in every circumstance as a princess.

We are royal priesthood. The Bible is our manual for royalty training, it is also the royal document to all that we have inherited by new birth. We are living far beneath our heritage...I am living below my heritage.

In the statement of faith that is the premise for this blog the third and fourth statement is "I am who God says I am" and "I can do all things through Christ." Can I just challenge you to join me to discover what God's Word says about this?

Mia, the princess of Genovia, went from life as an awkward teenager to abundant life as the royal Princess of Genovia - which she had been all along. The difference was revelation. When Grandma Queen Clarisse Renaldi revealed who she was -- the news changed everything.

You are His Masterpiece, His Workmanship, created for good works in Christ Jesus. Will you accept the challenge and live like royalty and act as ambassador for Christ? It might be better then you've ever imagined. Join me as we discuss & discover what God's Word has to say about your calling in to Royalty.