A King of Kings Above All Kings
A while back, after ISIS executed a Jordanian pilot, I read that Jordan's King Abdullah II immediately dropped what he was doing to head back to his home in Jordan.
A while back, after ISIS executed a Jordanian pilot, I read that Jordan's King Abdullah II immediately dropped what he was doing to head back to his home in Jordan. He promised to deal swiftly with those who did such a horrendous thing to one of his men. He instilled confidence in his people by acting quickly and by showing compassion in comforting the family of the man who was killed.
The story made me reflect on what a leader should be like. Two qualities stand out in my mind from King Abdullah's example.
First, he prioritized caring for his people. A good king should be caring. Jordan has taken in more than 2 million refugees. This is in a country the size of Indiana. Jordan's economy is among the smallest in the Middle East, with insufficient supplies of water, oil, and other natural resources underlying the government’s heavy reliance on foreign assistance. I have been inspired by Jordan for having such open arms in helping the poor and those who are fleeing dangerous situations, while Jordan is impoverished itself.
The other thing I respected in King Abdullah is that he was willing to fight for his people. He did not hesitate to act swiftly against a brutal attack on one of his own. A good strong leader will fight for his people. He will represent them. He will work to protect them.
While King Abdullah inspired me with his strong and caring leadership for his people, he is no comparison to the King our world desperately needs.
There are no solutions and no quick fixes to the many problems in our world. Mankind cannot fix their problems! Even men like King Abdullah II, those with strong and caring leadership, cannot fix it! The real enemy of this world is Satan, a spiritual enemy who uses spiritual tactics. He's the one who stirs up evil thoughts and actions. He's the one truly behind the brutality we see in the headlines. The good news is that he will be dethroned by the true King appointed by God, Jesus Christ. He is a King who loves us so much that He gave His life so that we might live. Our King is coming, and He will deliver the oppressed and judge swiftly the spiritual oppressors of the world.
Christ will also remove the evil physical leaders who have oppressed the weak and thrown out His laws. He will come in great power! "On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords" (Revelation 19:16). Our King will dwell among His people and wipe away all tears from their eyes. They will fear no more.
Soon Jesus Christ will return, and the world will be ruled by His laws. It will be ruled by a caring King who fights for His people. Even the best human leaders can't be compared to our King above all kings. Let's all hope for our King's swift return.
Course Content
Janet Treadway
Janet Treadway was born in Washington, D.C., but was raised in Knoxville, Tennessee. She started attending the Church of God with her mother at the age of 14 along with her twin brother, Jim.
She was baptized at the age of 19 in 1974. She has been involved in various activities, such as serving as the managing editor of UCG’s first teen magazine UsTeens, which was distributed worldwide and published in English and Spanish.
Janet’s first love is writing. She has contributed many articles in various publications such as Vertical Thought, Virtual Christian Magazine, United News and others. Her article “Take Action, Your Life May Depend on It” is also featured in the reprint “The Cycle of Abuse.” Janet draws from her own life’s experiences and challenges when she writes and is motivated to give readers hope that God will see them through anything.
Janet has worked in the home office of the United Church of God since 1998. She is married to Charles Treadway and has four children, David, Michelle, Michael and Josh, as well as six grandchildren and two granddogs, Jo Jo and Vinny.
