Straighten Your Crown

“I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”—2 Corinthians 6:18

We are sons and daughters of the King! The King of all! Yet, do we always live as if we are? Do we ever walk timid, afraid, lacking courage and authority? Do we act as orphans instead of ‘King’s kids?’ Do we fail to straighten our crowns?

In many ways we are akin to the prodigal son, who left his home and heritage so he could spend his father’s money—his provision—unwisely, until not long after, it was all gone. Yet, like him, when we at last come home, the Father welcomes us with open arms. Even after everything we have done. Even when we look and smell as if we have been living a life contrary to the life that we were born into… the life we are meant to live.

Straighten Your Crown:

We have passed through the Dire Straits, through Tisha B’Av. We have gone through that 21 day period of trials and attacks of the enemy and now it is time to polish our crowns. It is time to lift up our heads, turn to our Father, and stop living amongst the swine of the enemy and the world.

The crowns we wear as His children, as His kings and priests, are beautiful. Even more than that, they carry a level of freedom… and a mountain of redemption. When we run to our Father He will, more than willingly, straighten our crowns, giving us the tools to polish them so we can make the gems shine with the light of God.

It is a choice. Everything is a choice because of the blessing of freewill God has given. Thus, we can choose to walk contrary to God… allowing our crowns to become caked in the mud and grime we chose to roll in with the pigs. Or, we can choose to return to our Father as the prodigal son did. To be gloriously and lovingly welcomed… have the ring of authority placed upon our finger… the robe of righteousness put upon our shoulders… and receive every other aspect of His open arms.

We, like the prodigal son, have to ‘come to ourselves’ and remember who we are, but more importantly, remember what our heritage is. Who our Father is.

We are sons and daughters of The King. We are sons and daughters of the KING!

And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.”—Luke 15:20-24

It is time we start behaving like sons and daughters of the King of all.

Does a son or daughter of a king, even in the natural, spend their days amongst the swine? Do they lay in a field, nearly lost by hunger and lack when their father is still living? No. They are welcome to live in or have access to their father’s house. They live in contact with the king and hopefully behave with the honor and dignity in which they were raised. They do not lack food. They do not want. Yes, some may wander, but most stay, engaging in the duty and enjoying the pleasures of their position. They, when they have the right character, make a difference in the world for the better, using their authority wisely. They live in victory.

We too are sons and daughters of a King, only He is far grander and has more authority than all the earthly kings—past, present and future…. combined. Our King lives in wealth and power, He is clothed in righteousness and justice. And we are being raised by Him, our Father. We are continually being taught the behaviors and protocols for every new situation and season. Yet, in all of that, we have not always taken our rightful place.

We often live carefully, walking with our heads low as we try to follow the rules, but forget that freedom is in our Father. That there are benefits, as well as responsibilities, that come with being a ‘King’s kid.’ Yes, we are to stop living as the world does, putting nothing evil before our eyes, watching our words, etc., but we have to live expecting the benefits. We have to raise our heads so we may straighten our crowns.

It is time to live knowing that as a child of the Most High we need not go hungry, need not walk in rags. Everything we need for our call is in reach. It is a matter of believing. A matter of accepting. A matter of behaving and learning how to live with the new authority and provision that is coming. We have a few things expected of us, but as our Father shows us repeatedly in the Word, if we do the small thing, He will do the big thing…

Just as with David doing the small thing of standing before Goliath with a sling and five stones, God did the big thing of bringing down David’s giant. Just as with Joshua and the people of Israel marching around Jericho, causing God to bring the walls down. Just as when Esther went before the king and God spared her life and her people, restoring them to a life of victory!

God will do the big thing, all we have to do is have faith and walk forward knowing who our Father is. Knowing that our God, our Father, will work mightily on our behalf.

Esther may have walked toward the king shakily, she may have done so with her head held high. In her royal robes it was likely the latter, but either way she walked toward her destiny in faith, knowing who her God was, and she walked out of there in VICTORY!

It is time to walk in victory. To remember who we are, but more importantly to remember our heritage—who our Father is. Let us polish our crowns and live as kings and priests. Children of the Most High.

“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”—Luke 10:19

Conclusion:

God calls us His children; He calls us sons and daughters. Jesus paid the ultimate price to allow that heritage to belong to ALL who believe. He paid the price that we might be guided by the Holy Spirit—leading us in the ways of our Father—and granted authority.

We have been given position, authority, a Father, family, an eternal home, as well as the blessings and responsibilities that come with it all. We have been given a choice. To walk in life, in our kinship to the King of all, OR to walk in death and darkness, without authority, without purpose… amongst the swine.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 says, “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

It is both our promise, our authority, and our choice. Let us choose life. Let us polish our gemstones, raise our heads, and straighten our crowns. Let us walk in the authority God has given us. Let us be of good character and utilize that authority, not only so that we might not go hungry or lack what we need in each season, but so that we might also bring good to God’s Kingdom—our Father’s Kingdom—furthering it day by day.