I AM A PRINCESS!

1 Corinthians 9:24-27
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Every girl wants to be a princess sometime in her life, just as sure as every little boy wants to be a fireman. How cool would it be to live in a palace or a castle! A princess has servants waiting on her, hand and foot, and wears the most beautiful clothes. These perks were not what enticed me though. What attracted me was the idea of being considered special because of my heritage. Because I am an American with few ethnic traditions, I guess royalty seemed mysterious and desirable to me.

It was my freshman year of college and I was at home when I ran across a familiar verse: 1 Corinthians 9:25. (Yes, I had realized by this point in my life that I was never going to be a princess--but my desire to be part of a noble family had not diminished.) Since I despise exercise, I had never really connected with the first part of this verse. But because I was trying to be a focused, diligent Christian, I continued reading. The latter part caught my attention: "They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever."

A crown? The only people who receive crowns are those who win and those of royalty. I had read this verse many other times, but now it made sense--I really was a princess! Other verses about being a child of the King entered my thoughts and I knew it was true.

I can't explain how amazing that moment was. God showed me right then that I was special, that I was part of a noble family. Whenever I feel disappointed in myself or my circumstances, I remember that I am royalty! You are too, if you are a follower of Jesus. We are part of the greatest family in the world!

So, next time you're feeling low or saddened about your life and what you wish it was, remember your title: Son or Daughter of the King. And thank God that He chose you to be in His family. --Carson Newman (Indiana)

Written by a fellow Soul Journey reader.

DESTINATION POINTS

* How does the realization that I'm a child of the King affect my life?
* What responsibilities do I have in my "royal" role?
* Verses to ponder: Psalm 33:12; John 15:16; 1 Corinthians 9:25; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Ephesians 4:10; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 John 3:1.

LINKS:
God Our Father: What It Means To Be His Child
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0108

bottom line: In Jesus, we have great value.

soul journey