You Better Fix Your Crown - Benita Reffe

Hello there, Daughter of the King! Doesn’t that sound wonderful?! Repeat after me, “I am a princess - a daughter of the King of Kings!” How’d that feel? Good, right?  It’s a beautiful feeling to be loved and a chosen part of God’s family!

However, there are some responsibilities that come with this job. Not to burst your bubble, but a real princess here on earth does not get to lounge around and be pampered all day (though that would be really nice!). Nope, an earthly princess has appointments, school, planned-out schedules, friends that must go through background checks; and above all, they have a reputation to keep. This is a reputation that needs to be protected and clean just like we all have.

Oh, she’s touching on a sensitive matter now. Better buckle up!

We all have a last name, right? It was given to us when we were born because it is our family’s name. It represents our entire family: it identifies to whom we belong. So when your name comes up and is talked about, then not only is your reputation on the line, but your entire family’s reputation as well. It’s really a big responsibility that is not to be taken lightly.

Well, the same goes for the family of God. And as a blood-bought member of that family, you have a job to do: do not hurt the cause of Christ. Do not tarnish His name. Do not ruin His reputation. Do not twist His words and disregard His commandments (however you want to say it, it all means the same).

Here’s the thing: you might be the only Bible that someone reads. You might be the only form of Christ that someone sees.

Wait… what?! I am not God! What could that possibly even mean?

I am just so glad that you asked because I am about to explain it to you! Get close and listen well.

It means that God put you down here on this earth with the responsibility of spreading the Gospel and leading people to Jesus (Mark 16:15). Now, how can you do that when you are hurting God with your choices? Choices that people around you take note of. The Bible says in 1 Samuel 16:7, “But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” This verse is saying that the world can only see your outward appearance and actions, which means that they are very important.

Ever heard the saying “Your walk talks, and your talk talks; but your walk talks louder than your talk talks”? (Don’t say that too fast. It hurts the brain) Simply put, your actions speak louder than your words. Let me say that again, just so we are all on the same page. YOUR ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN YOUR WORDS. Period.

So, let’s say that Susie Q here was in church on Sunday. She wore modest clothes, sang in the choir, and even said her memory verse. Yay Susie, good job! However, on Monday, she goes to school in her mini skirt, rock music blaring out of her car speakers and laughing at off-colored jokes with her friends. Her friends ask what she did that weekend, and Susie says that she went to church. Now with her outfit, her music and her laughing at worldly jokes, do you think that her friends are going to believe that she actually went to church? Yea, I’m not sure about that at all. You know why? Because with her actions aligning with the world instead of the Bible, it would be hard for those around her to believe that she goes to church as she claims. See what I mean? Your actions speak louder than your words. You can say one thing and do another, but doing this will only cause doubt and unbelief in the minds of those around you. Your walk (your actions) talks louder than your talk (your words) talks.

Let’s say that Princess Pea is the face of her royal family’s campaign for helping the poor and raising money to buy them food. What an amazing thing to do! But then, Princess Pea is seen laughing at and mocking a homeless man while he asks her for help as she is out shopping. What say you? Will people believe that her heart is actually set on helping the poor and needy? Or will her actions tarnish her reputation and cause people to not trust her? I’m going to say that she will become very untrustworthy. I’m just saying, I would not want to be associated with that kind of rudeness no matter who that person claims to be. Would you?

Our job as born-again sinners is to tell this world about the Hope and Salvation that Jesus freely gives to those who ask. However, if people can’t trust what you tell them because of your actions, then we will not accomplish our job. People will die and go to Hell if we ruin our reputation in their eyes, because they won’t believe a word we say.

We must follow the Bible and model the Bible for people to see. We must be like Christ to the best of our abilities so that we can be the light to this world that the Bible tells us to be. You gotta walk your talk so that people will believe you and trust you. You gotta keep that crown on straight, Sweetie; because as much as we may not like it, people are watching us, and we have a family name to protect.