The Crown No Human Deserves
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12
Most of us probably would not know the value of Queen Elizabeth’s crown off the top of our head. It contains 269 pearls, 2,868 diamonds, 4 rubies, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and is valued at approximately $6 billion. The crazy part is that it is not insured. The modern version of this crown was created in 1937 but the gems have been around for at least 350 years. It weighs 2 pounds 13 ounces. She jokes saying she can’t look down with that thing on her head.
She wears it only on very special occasions; and the rest of the time it sits under multiple vaults with locks and keys. Only one man in the 1600’s ever tried to steal the crown and it didn’t work out so well for him.
You see, there are many crowns that are out of our reach. However, there is one crown that is available to us because of Jesus Christ. Through His lineage, we can receive the honor to be adopted into His royal family. What a blessing! There is nothing we can physically do to achieve it—nothing we can buy, write, think, or say that gains us this nobility. We are totally unworthy of His gift, but because of His great love for us, we are blessed.
This crown will never weigh us down or give us cricks in our necks or back pain. Quite the opposite, it should be like an adrenaline shot that moves us into the community to love and help others. It does not mean that the road is always going to be easy. But the very One who adopted us is there to walk with us through the scary parts.
Beyond our actions, we need to share our coronation stories. After we have come through one of life’s messes, we need to talk about it with others. Sharing how God was with us every step of the way helps our crown stay securely in place. Of course, no one else can see our crown, but we know that it is glistening in the light of His love.
Father God, thank You for adopting me and for fitting me with a crown even though I don’t always deserve it. Help me to reflect who You are every day. AMEN.