Lay My Crown

"Whenever the living creatures give glory,

honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne

and who lives for ever and ever,

the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever.

They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

'You are worthy, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they were created

and have their being.'"

Revelation 4:9-11

I just don't get it, I thought as I watched my husband hand over his trophy to a friend.  Why would he work so hard to win the competition only to give away the prize?  When I later asked him why he gave up his award, he explained that the honor of winning was enough for him so when the friend jokingly asked for the prize, he gave it to him.

While you would probably never catch me giving up a hard-earned trophy, I will one day give up the crown I receive for fighting the good fight, finishing the race and keeping the faith.  (2 Timothy 4:7-8)  Instead of letting a random friend have it, however, I will purposefully present it to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to whom I owe a debt I cannot pay. 

Meanwhile, it would be valuable to recognize His character so I can live to honor Him.

Worthy

I remember looking forward to the end of the year award ceremonies held at school.  It was always my hope that I would be presented some kind of honor before the entire student body so my classmates would know I was more than just a shy little girl.  I always dreamed of being some kind of superhero and I believed there had to be someone who recognized this hidden quality!  Thankfully, my fantasy never blossomed into a reality: Even a quiet little girl can have delusions of grandeur commonly labeled as 'pride' in God's kingdom.

You see, while I wanted to do great things that would bring glory and honor to my name, I soon learned I was stealing from God.  Only He is worthy to receive such respect. 

While I may think I'm building my self-esteem when I tell myself, I deserve the best this life has to offer, I am really placing the emphasis on me instead of on God where it belongs.

When I crave a pat on the back, wondering if anyone even notices my efforts, my intention is less than honorable.  Instead of simply wanting the encouragement I think I need to keep going, what I'm really doing is revealing the attitude of my heart: There's a part of me that is working for the praise of men.

Sometimes I want to help people in my own way, thinking I can save them from the destruction that lies at the end of the path on which they travel.  In reality, I am giving myself too much credit instead of realizing only God has the power to change a heart.

It is time I lived my life in a way that shows my belief in the worthiness of the Lord.

Creative

The earth is filled with over 900 thousand different kind of insects.  Some fly, others burrow, a few are deceptively beautiful while many are hideously ugly.  In the past few years, I have seen a bug that looks like a stick, a giant Luna Moth caterpillar that looks like it's straight out of the movie "A Bug's Life," and a Preying Mantis that I swear looks like a green man dressed to impress in tails.    Overall, a look at the creepy-crawlies that live among us attests to the fact that God is an imaginative, innovative Creator.

Since He has generated millions of creatures from His own mind, why do I have such a hard time believing He has a way to handle my problems?  With such resourcefulness, I can trust Him to provide a solution that will both honor Him and bring about good for me.

Therefore, I need not worry when I can't pay the bills, or when the test comes back positive, or when my child is headed down the wrong path.  Instead of trying to take matters into my own hands, I can trust the One who made all things to handle the difficulties in my life.

It is time I lived my life in a way that shows my belief in the creativity of the Lord.

Center

I have a cat who thinks it's all about him.  When I get up in the morning, he meows incessantly to get my attention.  When I turn my focus on him, instead of rubbing up against my ankles like most cats do, this orange tabby plops himself down and waits for his rubdown.  He expects me to drop everything and pet him to his heart's content.

In the same way this cat thinks I exist to give him pleasure, I sometimes take on this same attitude with God.  I make a plan and then sit back, waiting for God to make it come true.  While I do believe He wants us to wait on Him, He didn't mean that I get to call the shots.  Instead, He is the center of all things.

For this reason, I can either agree with His plan and submit to His sovereign will, or I can disagree with the path He is leading me down and fight Him every step of the way.  He will never deviate from His plan, but follows it implicitly.  Either I will climb on board or I'll work against Him.

The problem I usually have with God's plan is that it centers around Him instead of me.  While I prefer to have my desires fulfilled, my wishes considered and my expectations met, God simply doesn't work that way.  Instead, I am made for Him and His purposes.

It is time I lived my life in a way that shows my belief that the Lord is the center of all things.

One day I will receive a crown for living a life of submission to the Lord.   That reward will be laid at the feet of the One who is worthy of glory, honor and power, who is infinitely creative and is the center of all things.  I would be wise in this life, then, to recognize these qualities and live in a way that shows it.  In this way I can honor Jesus even before I get to lay my crown at His feet.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can remember Who I am living for.

When do I slip into the belief that I am the center of my world?

How am I focused more on fulfilling my own desires than seeking God's will?