Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth sat before a microphone and camera in South Africa during a tour with her parents, the king and queen of England. The young woman had a serious expression as she pledged herself to a life of service and dedication to the British Empire.

She was an unlikely queen. For the first 10 years of her life she was simply a princess, the daughter of the younger brother of the heir to the throne of England. If her uncle had remained on the throne and fathered a child, she would have grown up to be just another member of the royal family, able to live out a relatively quiet life.

But that was not her destiny. After her uncle abdicated the throne and her father became king, her life was never the same. She would eventually become a queen.

So in 1947, at age 21, she dedicated herself in a pledge heard by millions of people to a life of service to others—a heavy commitment for a young adult to make.

The story doesn't end there. Pledging oneself to virtuous goals, positive and important though they may be, is not enough. It's the follow-through that's important. Where does one turn for guidance—and how does this relate to the rest of us?

Age-old instruction for rulers

Of course, the One who knows best how to rule is the ultimate Ruler—God. And His Word, the Bible, is an invaluable source of needed guidance.

The book of Proverbs is meaty—it's full of psychology, philosophy and practical direction for a productive life, the road to happiness, and eternal salvation. In short, it's a distilled selection of what the rest of the Bible has to offer. Plus, it's inspired poetry!

Notice this statement: "The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy man will be put to forced labor" (Proverbs 12:24).

For a woman who is now in her 80s and continues to fulfill a grueling daily schedule, Queen Elizabeth is certainly the definition of diligent. It's proof of her commitment that this very year (2012) is the Diamond Jubilee celebration of her 60 years of service on the throne.

Proverbs has many other points of wisdom about how kings and rulers should conduct themselves:

"The king [or queen] establishes the land by justice, but he who receives bribes overthrows it" (Proverbs 29:4).

"A ruler who lacks understanding is a great oppressor, but he [or she] who hates covetousness will prolong his days" (Proverbs 28:16).

The ultimate royal family

So how do we "commoners" relate to instructions directed at kings and queens? Only the very few hold such positions in life, while most of us are just regular people. Where and how do we fit in?

First, we are all rulers over at least one person—our own self. We can rule our lives diligently, establish justice in our conduct and personally hate covetousness, just as the Proverbs direct. Our tiny kingdom of one may be small, but it can make a big positive impact in the lives of those around us.

Second, we all have the potential to be rulers at a future time when, if we are faithful to God, we will be changed from temporary physical bodies to immortal, untiring spirit bodies.

God's Son, Jesus Christ, shed His divine power to live in human form, died without sinning and was resurrected by God the Father to divine spirit existence. He did this so that every human being who has or will ever live can choose God's way and also be resurrected to spirit existence to live an amazing, productive eternal life in the Kingdom of God as a part of God's family, the most royal of all!

The book of Proverbs will give you the tools to live a life God would approve of, and the rest of Bible gives you the knowledge to make that commitment to God's way of life and stay on course to eternal life. Explore the Proverbs today, and rule your life with virtue!