King of the Hill by Eric Zahnd
I’ve said these things to you so that you will have peace in me. In the world, you will have distress. But be encouraged! I have conquered the world.
(John 16:33 CSB)
“King of the Hill!”
For just a few seconds, I actually felt like the king of the world. I was at the top of the hill, arms extended skyward, victorious.
Moments later, I was at the bottom again, rubbing a skinned knee, defeated.
I remember vividly the many times we played King of the Hill on the perfect mound just outside First Baptist Church of Savannah, Missouri. Much to our mothers’ dismay, we played nearly every Sunday after church, disregarding the near certainty of fresh grass stains on our best church clothes.
Perhaps you’ve heard of the game. It was not particularly sophisticated. A group of kids simply ascended a hill and pushed and shoved one another down it. The person left standing at the top was the King of the Hill. That was until someone else dethroned the king by pushing him (or her!) down the hill. (You see, it was the 1970s and, while we were certainly gender-inclusive, no one was yet particularly sensitive about gender-inclusive language.)
I wasn’t the king very often. No, I was a skinny kid — really skinny. Most of the time, just about everyone else playing — even those a few years younger — was bigger and stronger.
So those rare occasions that I became the king felt great. They felt great because I spent most of my time near the bottom of the hill, pushed down by others who were better at the game than I was as they scrambled to the top.
Are you sometimes distressed, feeling left behind, shoved away, at the bottom? If so, Jesus Christ has good news! You can be encouraged because He has conquered the world. And Jesus’ victory over this world is not a temporary one. It is the ultimate triumph of love over hate, grace over judgment, peace over distress.
As this Advent season nears its end, be assured that God’s deep love for you enables you to outlast and overcome all that the world throws your way, for Jesus is already the King of every hill that awaits you.
Eric Zahnd