“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?"
The servant is the fairest of them all.
Picture Cinderella. She is alone in her room sitting in her rags. Day after day she is serving her mean stepmother and her two selfish stepsisters. All the while she is singing with joy in her heart – doing as she was told, when she was told -- by miserable individuals who could not be pleased. Cinderella is a good picture of a servant. This princess was a servant before becoming princess.
Having a servant’s heart is beautiful and admirable. Cinderella was favored above all others and most desired by the prince because of her service. Like Cinderella, each of us can be a princess who is desired and admired by “The Prince.”
Before we look at how we can be a princess today, let’s first look at the world’s idea of a princess. The world’s idea of a princess is a lot like the evil image we get from the stepmothers and sisters in these fairy tale princess stories. They are selfish, mean, hateful, jealous and ungrateful. They want what they want, when they want it. And, they don’t care who they have to use or step on to get it.
They believe that they have a right to do or to have anything that makes them happy. They insult and accuse others, simply because they get amusement out of it. They set others up for failure, just to watch them fall. Their mouths have no filter. They believe they should be able to say whatever they want no matter the damage. This worldly princess sets out to provoke others to sin (jealousy, selfishness, etc…)
Philippians 4:6-8 tells us to pray to God with thanksgiving, making our requests known and that He will keep our hearts and minds. In verse 8, Paul wrote, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
To avoid being provoked by the worldly princess, take Paul’s advice. The worldly princess does not think on these things, and she is not grateful. Romans 13:7 tells us to “render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.” Being ungrateful shows disrespect. Being ungrateful is sin and is the beginning of falling away from God (Romans 1:21).
In II Timothy 3:2-5, being unthankful is listed with a lot of other sins, like “lovers of their ownselves, boasters, false accusers, despisers of those that are good, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God,” the verse goes on to say “these having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away… They are ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Unthankful men are of corrupt minds and reprobate concerning the faith.”
As we can see, the worldly princess, like the evil stepmothers and sisters in the Princess stories, can be very dangerous. They bring about much damage and serve no one but self. We can become like this worldly princess if we are not careful.
In contrast to this worldly princess, let’s now notice a true princess named Ruth. Ruth was a true a servant. She was grateful. She thought of others before herself. She was industrious. She was a lover of God. She was loyal and lovable. She was also desired, admired, and chosen by “Prince Charming,” better known as Boaz, because of her humble servant’s heart.
Boaz was not Elimelech’s next of kin (3:12), but he was a good man and he cherished Ruth. He took the proper steps to keep the Law of Moses concerning marriage. He consulted with the next of kin to her deceased husband about marrying her.
He loved Ruth. Boaz said of Ruth, “All the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman,” (3:11). This true story of a servant is a story of love, loss, choices, service, loyalty and selfless living. Ruth is a good Bible example of what it truly means to be a real princess.
Ruth suffered loss in the death of her husband, father in law and brother in law. She had hard times. She made a hard choice to leave her family and her idol gods to be with her widowed mother in law and her God, the God of heaven. She had to make a decision that would change her life. She worked gleaning in the fields daily to supply for the needs of her mother in law and herself. She was a servant. She was loyal to her mother in law and to the God of heaven. She obeyed and trusted God, Naomi and Boaz. She was loved and desired by Boaz, because of her selflessness. She lived her life thinking of others before herself.
Ruth wasn’t a true picture of a princess in and of herself, or in marrying Boaz. She was a true princess, because she chose The Almighty God to be her God, and nothing else took His place -- not self, not Boaz, not work. God was the number one Love of her life. That is why she possessed all of those beautiful qualities. That is why she is a true picture of a biblical princess.
How can we be a princess today; what does being a servant have to do with it? We can be a princess when we choose The Prince and The Prince chooses us. We will only win the favor and acceptance of the Prince by choosing him and serving him.
When we serve others we are essentially serving him. Matthew 25 tells us that when we feed the hungry, give to him who is thirsty, help a stranger, cloth the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned we are doing it to Jesus. The Prince, Jesus Christ, sees our beauty in our service, and our service shows the world His beauty. We are to do all things to the glory of God. We serve him by obeying him. John 14:15 tells us that if we love him, we will “keep his commandments.”
Sometimes, even if we are the princess of Christ, we lose sight, cease to serve Him and begin to serve self again. When this happens we must remind ourselves whose we are and return to him -- to be his loyal servant once again. Titus 3:3-6 tells us “For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our savior; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Heirs of Christ! A princess! His princess! To be his princess we must obey him. We must do things his way, not our way. We must hear his words (Romans 10:17), Believe that he is the son of God (Hebrews 11:6), Acknowledge and repent of our sins (Acts 2:38), Confess his name before others (Romans 10:9), Be buried in baptism for the remission of our sins (Romans 6:4), and continue in our walk with Christ daily until death (I John 1:7). That is how you become, and stay, a princess!
Being a princess is being a servant. She will acknowledge him in everything that she does, allowing him to direct her paths (Proverbs 3:5-6). She will trust him and submit to him and to his will for her. She will lean not on her own understanding, but she will show complete submission and realize that it’s not in her that she lives and moves and has her being (Acts 17:28). It’s all him! He blesses her continually as she continues to serve him (Matthew 6:33).
We want to be all His so that others might trade their worldly prince, Satan (self), for the True Prince, Jesus Christ.
Picture Cinderella. She is alone in her room sitting in her rags. Day after day she is serving her mean stepmother and her two selfish stepsisters. All the while she is singing with joy in her heart – doing as she was told, when she was told -- by miserable individuals who could not be pleased. Cinderella is a good picture of a servant. This princess was a servant before becoming princess.
Having a servant’s heart is beautiful and admirable. Cinderella was favored above all others and most desired by the prince because of her service. Like Cinderella, each of us can be a princess who is desired and admired by “The Prince.”
Before we look at how we can be a princess today, let’s first look at the world’s idea of a princess. The world’s idea of a princess is a lot like the evil image we get from the stepmothers and sisters in these fairy tale princess stories. They are selfish, mean, hateful, jealous and ungrateful. They want what they want, when they want it. And, they don’t care who they have to use or step on to get it.
They believe that they have a right to do or to have anything that makes them happy. They insult and accuse others, simply because they get amusement out of it. They set others up for failure, just to watch them fall. Their mouths have no filter. They believe they should be able to say whatever they want no matter the damage. This worldly princess sets out to provoke others to sin (jealousy, selfishness, etc…)
Philippians 4:6-8 tells us to pray to God with thanksgiving, making our requests known and that He will keep our hearts and minds. In verse 8, Paul wrote, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
To avoid being provoked by the worldly princess, take Paul’s advice. The worldly princess does not think on these things, and she is not grateful. Romans 13:7 tells us to “render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.” Being ungrateful shows disrespect. Being ungrateful is sin and is the beginning of falling away from God (Romans 1:21).
In II Timothy 3:2-5, being unthankful is listed with a lot of other sins, like “lovers of their ownselves, boasters, false accusers, despisers of those that are good, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God,” the verse goes on to say “these having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away… They are ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Unthankful men are of corrupt minds and reprobate concerning the faith.”
As we can see, the worldly princess, like the evil stepmothers and sisters in the Princess stories, can be very dangerous. They bring about much damage and serve no one but self. We can become like this worldly princess if we are not careful.
In contrast to this worldly princess, let’s now notice a true princess named Ruth. Ruth was a true a servant. She was grateful. She thought of others before herself. She was industrious. She was a lover of God. She was loyal and lovable. She was also desired, admired, and chosen by “Prince Charming,” better known as Boaz, because of her humble servant’s heart.
Boaz was not Elimelech’s next of kin (3:12), but he was a good man and he cherished Ruth. He took the proper steps to keep the Law of Moses concerning marriage. He consulted with the next of kin to her deceased husband about marrying her.
He loved Ruth. Boaz said of Ruth, “All the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman,” (3:11). This true story of a servant is a story of love, loss, choices, service, loyalty and selfless living. Ruth is a good Bible example of what it truly means to be a real princess.
Ruth suffered loss in the death of her husband, father in law and brother in law. She had hard times. She made a hard choice to leave her family and her idol gods to be with her widowed mother in law and her God, the God of heaven. She had to make a decision that would change her life. She worked gleaning in the fields daily to supply for the needs of her mother in law and herself. She was a servant. She was loyal to her mother in law and to the God of heaven. She obeyed and trusted God, Naomi and Boaz. She was loved and desired by Boaz, because of her selflessness. She lived her life thinking of others before herself.
Ruth wasn’t a true picture of a princess in and of herself, or in marrying Boaz. She was a true princess, because she chose The Almighty God to be her God, and nothing else took His place -- not self, not Boaz, not work. God was the number one Love of her life. That is why she possessed all of those beautiful qualities. That is why she is a true picture of a biblical princess.
How can we be a princess today; what does being a servant have to do with it? We can be a princess when we choose The Prince and The Prince chooses us. We will only win the favor and acceptance of the Prince by choosing him and serving him.
When we serve others we are essentially serving him. Matthew 25 tells us that when we feed the hungry, give to him who is thirsty, help a stranger, cloth the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned we are doing it to Jesus. The Prince, Jesus Christ, sees our beauty in our service, and our service shows the world His beauty. We are to do all things to the glory of God. We serve him by obeying him. John 14:15 tells us that if we love him, we will “keep his commandments.”
Sometimes, even if we are the princess of Christ, we lose sight, cease to serve Him and begin to serve self again. When this happens we must remind ourselves whose we are and return to him -- to be his loyal servant once again. Titus 3:3-6 tells us “For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our savior; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Heirs of Christ! A princess! His princess! To be his princess we must obey him. We must do things his way, not our way. We must hear his words (Romans 10:17), Believe that he is the son of God (Hebrews 11:6), Acknowledge and repent of our sins (Acts 2:38), Confess his name before others (Romans 10:9), Be buried in baptism for the remission of our sins (Romans 6:4), and continue in our walk with Christ daily until death (I John 1:7). That is how you become, and stay, a princess!
Being a princess is being a servant. She will acknowledge him in everything that she does, allowing him to direct her paths (Proverbs 3:5-6). She will trust him and submit to him and to his will for her. She will lean not on her own understanding, but she will show complete submission and realize that it’s not in her that she lives and moves and has her being (Acts 17:28). It’s all him! He blesses her continually as she continues to serve him (Matthew 6:33).
We want to be all His so that others might trade their worldly prince, Satan (self), for the True Prince, Jesus Christ.
Let’s be His Princesses!
PHOTO CREDIT: http://slodive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/little-girl-hairstyles/the-cutest-little.jpg
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