Reppin’ the King - Tale of a Princess
What comes to mind when you hear "princess?" For most, I suppose it’s gowns, crowns and glitter.
I myself am a wife, a mom, a singer, a pastor, a writer, but most importantly, I'm a 38 year old princess full of wit and sparkle who owns three Snow White dresses and may very possibly have a Snow White tattoo on her left ankle! I most definitely AM a princess... but not in the way one might think....and so today I will tell you something of identity, ownership and responsibility...
So let's play a game for a moment.
Close your eyes and think about every famous Disney Princess in jeans and hoodies. Now, what makes Snow White (I’ll pick her because she’s my favorite) or any of them any different than Harry Potter, Luke Skywalker or Frodo Baggins?! Just because Snow White is a princess doesn't mean she hasn't traveled the hero's journey.
I mean good grief this girl was a servant! Whether forced into it by her step mom or taking care of seven tiny men; she worked! And she's strong! Before she got sucker punched by a tainted apple from some jealous old chick, she saved herself and SEVEN fULL grown MEN! haha...full grown.
Being a princess is not all ball gowns and glass slippers...although it’s my opinion that we should definitely rock that attire whenever an opportunity presents itself!
Being a Kid of a King is a Job.
I did some research and found in yahoo that an actual real life princess is expected to take on many charitable interests and others as well... in order to represent the monarch. She is to be a servant representing the love of her king for the people.
The role of a prince is to observe his duty to the monarchy through his belonging as the son of the king, and to witness the governance of the kingdom with regular participation of duties that refines his claim as heir apparent, with sufficient patience and virtues for his reign. He should live in that newly gained territory and observe their language, laws and customs.
Before we go any further, I also wanna be clear that not only do I consider myself a princess, but I believe that everyone who calls themselves a child of God, son or daughter of the ONE TRUE KING, is a prince or princess! A KING'S KID! According to Galations 3:26, we are children of God by faith, and Galations 4:7 calls us His children and therefore His heirs.
That being said, since we have this identity, it’s time to take the job description that goes with it seriously.
Three Parts of our Job of Service we can take from our yahoo definitions:
1)Represent the Love of the King.
God is LOVE. He can't NOT love (1 John 4:8). I John 4:12 says his love is brought to FULL EXPRESSION in US. John 13:35 says by this (how we love all people) all will know you're my disciples/king's kids.
We love by serving. Philippians 2:5-8 says your attitude should be that of Christ who being the very nature God did not consider himself equal with God but made himself a servant. Martin Luther King Jr. said this,
“Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve...you only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.
2)Appearances Are Important
If any of you have watched The Crown on Netflix, you know making appearances at public events is a big part of being royalty. Don't be a hermit. We can't represent the monarch if we don't show up. A city on a hill cannot be hidden...we are the light! (Matt. 5:14)
How you appear when in public is important too. Royalty looks the part. Romans 12 says We should offer our bodies as a holy sacrifice, keeping them healthy and pure.
Do this by asking yourself Does how I look and dress say look at God or look at me? This doesn't mean you can't accentuate God's craftsmanship...just do it in a way that glorifies Him!
Also, be TRUTHFUL in portraying your identity in Christ. God is not a God of confusion and therefore we shouldn't portray confusion (Deuteronomy 22:5.) You can have your own style ...just represent truth in it.
3)Educate Yourself and Gain Experience to Produce Virtues in Service
A king's kid is all things to all people just like Paul in I Corinthians 9. Why? So that we might win some just like the text says!
How do you become all things to all people? Get out and LIVE LIVE LIVE in your newly gained territory observing...that's how you gain insight into how to reach them, love them and serve them.
Some of you descendants of royalty might panic at the fact I just told you to go out into the world, but don’t. Don't be afraid of becoming of the world...you can keep yourself safe by checking your motivation...
Are you compromising with the world in order to avoid conflict or difficulty or to be accepted? If so, then you’re messed up. But if you have the motivation Paul did….that you might SAVE SOME, you’re on track and in check. Jesus became like us in order to win us to himself.
Now, that we've discussed the three things that help us reflect His love and refine our claim as heirs: Representing his love, Appearances, and Learning with patience and virtue, I want to talk to you about one more thing.....Some princess’ purpose in life is SOLEY the task of producing heirs. It's THAT IMPORTANT! And according to Mark 16:15, The Great Commission, God thinks so too!
WhaaaAAAAA????!!!!!!! Jen, did you just say that?!
Yes. I did. And I know it’s not very women empowering, but it’s because I’m not talking about physically giving birth here like producing heirs typically means. I mean spiritual heirs...and the princes need to be doing this too.
However, to do this, we must realize that we may have to kiss some frogs! Reach the hurting, the backslidden, and the lost. Examples are woman at the well, Zacchaeus, the leper, and Saul to Paul. And in true princess fashion, Beauty and the Beast...
God, the KING in our journey today, has the power to make the hideous truly beautiful. He can make the ugliest and wartiest of frogs the most handsome princes and fairest princesses. and He chooses to do it by US reaching out to them and "kissing" them.
You know, fact is we ARE PRINCESSES (and princes). And I'm telling you today to OWN it and the ensuing responsibility. Have you seen that meme on facebook or pinterest that says "Always wear your invisible crown?"
Well, I'm admonishing you today to do just that. Every morning I want you to put on your invisible crown, pick up your cross and live out your day AND THEN, someday....just as the song THE OLD RUGGED CROSS says...”I will cherish the old rugged cross and exchange it someday for a crown.”
There's another meme that says I'm 99.9% sure I'm a Disney princess...well I don't know about that but I'm 100% sure you’re a child of King Jesus...so go out and OWN IT!
