Royalty and Crowns

We live about an hour and a half from Dollywood. Dollywood is one of my favorite places and when we were in college we forked out the money for season passes so that we could make a couple of trips each year. It's not really cheap but I would go at least once a month if I could. It's beautiful and has a great family atmosphere. They are expanding their limited number of rollercoasters.  Dollywood also has a lot of small shops. (Did we mention rollercoasters?)

As you amble around the park you can browse through stores and catch snippets of shows all at the same time. A small Christian bookstore used to be tucked away in a line of shops. It's not there now but I remember exactly what it looked like. It was open on one side and I always wondered how they kept the books dry in bad weather. It was there that I met Elizabeth George. 

Not in person, mind you, although that would have been awesome. They had rows of her books on one side of the shelf. She was on the first authors to influence my life in a spiritual way once I was an adult. She wrote passionately about loving God and using your work to glorify Him. She talked about how to love your husband, train your children, quiet your tongue.  I bought a small stack of her books for four or five dollars apiece over the few years of college. I still have them and I've been rereading "Beautiful in God's Eyes." It's a book based on Proverbs 31 and she's unpacking some of the truth of that Scripture and how it applies to my life. 

In one of the last chapters she's talking about how a wife becomes praiseworthy to her husband. As I was contemplating being a crown to my husband this morning I realized something. 

If I'm going to be a crown to my husband (Pro. 12:4), I must be royalty myself (I Pet. 2:9). A crown that really honors can't be made of cheap materials. No one wants a crown of cardboard or sticks. No one wants a crown colored with crayons or thrown together in thirty minutes (unless your babies make it). They want a piece of art. Something lovingly designed with hard work and creativity. 

photo courtesy of digitalart/freedigitalphotos.net

If I am going to be a crown to my husband, I must be royalty myself. I can't suddenly be something for him that I'm not on my own. My love for God must mold all aspects of my life to be a virtuous woman. Who I am matters. I can't base my worth on my position as a wife or mom or anything else I do. I will stand before God as Lisa. 

Yes, there are very practical aspects to being a crown to my husband. 

- How do I keep my home? Does it discourage him when he comes home? Does he dread bringing people here or having people drop by? Is he comfortable? 

- How do I train our children? Can he enjoy them? Do they obey? 

- How do I look? Can he be proud to be seen with me? Does my dress reflect his position? 

- How do I manage our money? Do I stretch what we have? Do I thank him for his hard work and provision? 

- How do I love God? Can he expect me to be serving God or does he always wonder if he'll have to pull me along into God's will? 

- How do I spend my free time? Am I growing as a person? Do I use it to bless my family?  

But in the end it comes down to me. I must be royalty myself. My motivation must be a heart that pleases God. When I am seeking God's approval with my life then I will be a crown to my husband.