“And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
” 1 Peter 5:4 ESV
Long ago and far away, in a world that feels light-years from the present in so many ways, I remember faithfully (and excitedly) watching a daily television show in which one woman was chosen to wear the crown for a day.
The show was “Queen for a Day.” It was a television spinoff of a radio program that began in 1945; the TV program ran through 1964. In each episode, four women shared their personal stories of hard times, each hoping to convince the audience that their sad story most deserved a wish granted and a crown bestowed.
Wishes ran the gamut from gas ranges or sets of china to cars or vacations, all of which could be granted by the program’s generous sponsors. Somehow, each wish was sure to make the one-day queen’s life easier.
Each day, I picked my favorite Queen for the Day candidate and shouted at the TV, hoping to influence the audience’s vote. When my favorite candidate-Queen was selected, I cheered and clapped, knowing the woman’s life would be better because she wore the crown.
Perhaps that inspired the games we played when all the girl cousins were together—that and the fairy tales of Cinderella, Snow White, and other queenly stories.
After dressing in long “fancy” clothes complemented by royal robes made of blankets and bedsheets, the debate would begin over who would wear the crown. We’d each state our case for why we merited the crown. My argument was always the same: I had long blonde hair down to my waist, and queens should have long blonde hair.
Most of the time, my argument won, and I got to wear the crown. Then we would parade around the house with the queen leading her entourage of princesses. It was a royal good time… at least for the queen.
That crown represented so many things to the wearers; whether on TV or at play, it meant being the chosen one, the attention-getter, the leader, the one who gets her way, the one in charge, the special one, and the one who holds the power.
Looking back, “Queen for the Day” and our queenly role-playing were fun and silly forms of wishful entertainment.
Honestly, don’t we all, at one time or another—maybe most of the time—want all those things for ourselves? We want to be the chosen one, the attention-getter, the leader, the one who gets her way, the one in charge, the special one, and the one who holds the power?
We all have an inner desire to wear the figurative crown—maybe not all the time, but often.
We want to wear the crown. We want the glory and the power of the crown.
That not fully sanctified sin nature which still resides in all believers is a Usurper. It demands the crown! It wants to be in charge. It wants to wear the crown that rightfully belongs to our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.
If we allow it, the Usurper will seize the crown and attempt to overthrow the Throne of God that reigns over every believer’s heart.
Friend, you do not want to take part in that revolution. If you are a child of God, nothing good will come of attempting to unseat the rightful King of your heart.
Know that the King will not be unseated. He will set things right, and if you insist on resistance, the restoration process may be painful. Reject the Usurper; stay true to the KING of Kings.
Does that mean you’ll never wear a crown?
Take heart! A glorious crown awaits you. If you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ, you are a child of the King. You are of royal blood.
Jesus Christ wore a crown of thorns as He hung on the cross so that one day all who belong to Him will one day wear a golden crown befitting the child of the King.
Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8 ESV
Here’s the amazing part. After a lifetime of wanting to wear the crown ourselves, when we receive our crowns in God’s restored kingdom, we’ll want to cast our crowns in worship at the feet of our LORD God and our Savior (Revelation 4:10-11).
The Usurper will be no more. We will walk in the perfection of our Savior. And it will be our greatest joy to surrender our crowns to our God.
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. [Jas 1:12 ESV] –
Friend, do you find yourself fighting to claim a crown that does not belong to you?