Embracing Who We Are

Embracing who we are means recognizing God’s unique calling for our lives and living in the light of that high position. A few weeks ago, we talked about remembering the past. Today, we’ll discuss how to honor God’s present gift of grace in the world. We are both the servants and daughters of the King of Kings.

What’s your opinion of fairytale princesses? You know the plot—a beautiful princess is loved and rescued by a handsome prince and together they ride off into the sunset. Or let’s switch it up a bit—her hero is an extraordinary commoner who turns out to be royalty. Or maybe she’s the girl-next-door who catches the prince’s eye and inherits a kingdom.

Yet despite their popularity in both the Disney universe and the fantasy genre, I hear a lot of criticism heaped on the so-called Princess Syndrome. While I get some of the concerns—we aren’t less than men, we don’t have to cry damsel-in-distress—I still believe most girls—and women—love the tales of rags-to-royalty and horror-to-happiness.

“If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities.” –Maya Angelou

Why We Love the Princess Stories

Because as daughters in God’s family, that’s who we are. In a Scripture passage (Titus 2:3-5) that lists the essential characteristics of God’s women, the first mentioned is “reverent in behavior.”

The Greek for “reverent” is a compound word of hieros, meaning “sacred,” and prepo, “fitting.” Therefore, a reverent woman is one whose attitudes and actions reflect her high and holy calling.

Also compelling is the meaning of the word for “behavior”—katastema, “deportment, demeanor, carriage.” I couldn’t help but think of Cinderella’s pumpkin-turned-golden-carriage here.

The conduct of God’s woman, then, should suit her royal character. Her behavior should fit the special, consecrated position she has as a princess. My friends, we need to act like who we are.

Some of you will remember an old movie version of The Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett, in which the grasping Miss Minchin accuses Sara Crewe, the riches-to-rags-to-riches-again heroine, of preening as if she were a princess. Sara replies frankly, “I never thought I was a princess. I only ever tried to behave like one.”

That girl didn’t merely pretend, motivated by fantastic daydreams—she lived what she believed. Sara acted to…

Embrace the Position

Set apart from birth, we rank as members of the King’s family from the moment we are born again. Our multifaceted Christian identity—who we are as God’s daughters—is granted us, as the style of the British monarch goes, “…by the Grace of God…Queen…”

It’s appropriate to know our station as princess-servants. We’ve been given many precious titles, by God’s gracious gift:

• Child of God (Jn. 1:12)
• Christ’s Chosen Friend (Jn. 15:15-16)
• Fellow Heir with Christ (Rom. 8:17)

In an early Downton Abbey episode, sly and spiteful Miss O’Brien helps the trusting Countess Cora to a miscarriage, out of revenge for a misperceived wrong. After setting the trap, O’Brien mutters to herself, “This is not who you are.” But it’s too late to undo it, her ladyship has just slipped on the soap! The “soap” incident affects the rest of O’Brien’s life to one degree or another.

Dear friends, do we live worthy of our position? Who we are should transform the way we behave. “By the grace of God, I am what I am…” says the Apostle Paul (I Cor. 15:10).

Droplet Gift #10 – I choose to recognize and embrace who I truly am in Christ, living in the gift of His glorious grace.

Embrace the Privilege

My dictionary defines “privilege” as “honor, joy, pleasure, treat.” What a joy it is to live in a Father-Daughter relationship with the King and to sit in fellowship at His table. We have been set apart by our blessings as few people have. We are:

• God’s Masterpiece (Eph. 2:10)
• The Temple and Dwelling Place of God (I Cor. 3:16; 6:19)
• A Chosen Generation, Royal Priesthood, Holy Nation, God’s Possession (I Pet. 2:9-10)

To quote another princess movie, Drew Barrymore as the “little cinder girl” in Ever After echoes to Prince Henry the lesson his mother has already attempted to impress upon him: “You were born to privilege, and with that comes specific obligations.” How right she was.

In the past, many noble families lived by the principle of noblesse oblige—“nobility obliges” to certain responsibilities along with its distinctions. Leadership carries its cost.

Embrace the Preparation

Fellow princesses, we are now in reigning-training. The first step toward any worthwhile career is choosing what we are designed to do and acquiring the necessary education, challenging as it may seem. God has planned a job for us and works to mold us for it.

As Christians, we are meant to live all of life as if it were a royal occasion, a sacred assembly…because our duty is to rule and to rule well, on behalf of the King whom we represent. Set apart to benefit the Kingdom, we wield the power to do right–not wrong–by acting as:

• Salt and Light in the World (Mt. 5:13-14)
• A Slave of Righteousness (Rom. 6:18)
• Ambassador and Minister of Reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-20)

So, should we embrace the title “Her Highness”? Yes, if we posit a re-worked plotline to the story:

A lovely princess… Not perfect by a mile, but lovely because she’s God’s chosen and beloved.

         Who is rescued from evil and the Evil One by a King… Not because she’s especially entitled (far from it), but because of His unconditional love and sacrifice.

                  Now enjoys privilege and value… Not pampering or coddling, because she’s not inadequate—God’s grace has bestowed on her “all sufficiency in everything” (2 Cor. 9:8).

                            Because she is destined for a vital role in the Kingdom… Not a performance or beauty competition, but a unique service assignment in God’s on-going mission in His world.

Fellow princesses, let us wear the crown well…until we cast it at His feet.

Lord, don’t take me home until… I prize who I am and fulfill my high calling.