Laying down crowns

October 3, 2008
Laying down crowns

Today in church we sang a song with the words “we fall down, we lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus”. While singing this song I began to think, “this song doesn’t apply to me, I don’t wear a crown, or do I?” I began to contemplate the “crowns” in my life, the things I treasure, the things in which I place my identity, the areas where my pride is found. Being honest here, I’ll list some; having the opportunity to live in England, my schooling and education, being an “almost” audiologist, being a daughter, a sister, my long-term goals in life. All these I hold into as if they were mine to earn, mine to maintain, and mine to keep forever. If I didn’t have a career as an audiologist to look forward to, what would my identity be? Instead, in the words of the song, we are called to lay all these “crown” or things we hold as important before Jesus. Not placing them as equal before him but placing them at his feet in an attitude of surrender and acknowledging his Lordship in our lives. So, as a Christian, what are the crowns that I should have? How about a career Christian; someone whose Christian life is exemplified in everything she does, how she interacts with other, and how she thinks about things. How about as a sister in Christ to the body of Christ and a child of God; someone who uplifts her Christian family, seeks wisdom and guidance from them, and finds encouragement in fellowship. Or, how about as a talented woman who uses the gifts God has given her and the opportunities He has made available to serve and grow while acknowledging who is the author and sustainer of her life. I think I’ll start to take off these heavy and burdensome crowns to put on the one crown of Christ. This has been my prayer this past week; that I would not cling to finding my identity in the temporary things of this world but would lay these before Jesus and seek after things which last.