As a kid, I spent little time dreaming about being a princess. I preferred jumping endlessly on a trampoline or tormenting my little brother. I’m older now and fancy dresses and golden slippers may not adorn my wardrobe, but crowns do. I’ve got quite the collection. Let’s not mistake them with hats, because I tend to do that sometimes. Crowns don’t have quite the same distinction.

My crowns reveal themselves within my own mini made-up kingdoms. If my house is my castle, then it’s within those walls and among my immediate family, that I wear a crown. I’ve got one for work too. Past relationships and disappointment also have their own crown. My need for the certainty crown is one that I wear often. Lately, I’ve been putting it on every morning.

The problem with all this crown-wearing comes when you don’t know when and how to lay a crown down. In these moments, we become little kings. When the crown brings you comfort just by wearing it. When it determines your next move and how well you respond to unexpected shifts within your kingdoms. When the crown becomes your whole outfit and without it, you can’t function. You even sleep with it firmly fastened to your head.

Here’s something about our own Kingdoms and crowns.

They require power.

Here’s something about laying those crowns down.

It requires humility.

In some cases, it may require you to let someone else lead. You may have to take off the sparkling beauty and jewels that you had encased in your crown to lay yourself bare to the task and situation at hand. To be standing on the front line with nothing more than your vulnerability.

If this is you, here’s what God is saying:
Don’t panic, I am with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God.  I’ll give you strength.  I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you. – Isaiah 41:10

When we bring our suffering to God and lay our crowns down at His feet, the revelation of our belovedness is deeper than the nakedness we feel.

Our mini-kingdoms pale into comparison to the Kingdom of God which comes through Jesus. In fact, Jesus is bigger than any little king.