Royal Manners

Sincliar Ferguson, in a sermon titled, “Love Your Enemies”, tells this story.

When the Queen of England was little, she and her sister went to a fancy party. As they got into their car, their grandmother gave them this adage:

Royal children, Royal manners.

I've been thinking a lot about this in the last few days. So much so, I wrote it on a card and placed it where I can see it often.

Here's why I love it…

I am royalty, too. Just like those little girls, my royalty is not based on anything I have done. I am in the family of the High King. And that's all that matters. I did not have to be smart enough, beautiful enough, good enough, or right enough. What made those little girls royal? They had the right name. My crown is my birthright of being born in the name of Jesus.

Less I think that my royalty allows me to act any-ole-way, let me remember that I am wearing a crown on my head. Maybe that's what Paul meant when he wrote in Philippians 1:27, “... let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ...” Who I am dictates what I do.

I need to remember that. And I need to remember that living in the opposite is a dangerous theology. I cannot earn my crown.

But, the crown I've been given does change me. How I react to not getting my own way, or someone betraying me… how I stand against temptation… how I serve the people around me…. how I love in faith… I want the details of my days to be influenced by my crown.

I want to have royal manners because I am a royal child.