He was looking for a bride, but not just any princess would do. The prince wanted a “genuine princess”—sincere, kind, loving, and compassionate. One stormy night a princess arrived at the castle, and the royals invited her to stay the night. The queen prepared her room with a bed stacked with many mattresses and, placing a tiny hard pea under them, said she would soundly sleep if she were not genuine. But the princess didn’t sleep well, tossing and turning all night. That little object not only disrupted her rest, but she awakened with bruises on her body. She was indeed a genuine princess for the prince.
Hans Andersen’s fairytale made me think of our lives as
Christians, royal members of God’s family. What makes you uncomfortable as a
believer? Do hearing falsehoods and witnessing our nation defying God’s Word bother
you? Do others’ disagreeable actions and words cause you discomfort? They
should, and, given the opportunity, we should boldly speak God’s truth every
opportunity the Holy Spirit affords.
As children of the King, God calls us to live holy and different from the world’s ways, commanding us to love Him above all else and others as ourselves. And the world should notice the difference—sincere Christ-followers obey God and are genuinely kind, loving, and compassionate. Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35). Not living up to God’s standards should cause us unrest. Even the tiniest “pea” in our lives should create discomfort and indicators that spark an investigation. Genuine princes and princesses want to please their Father, the King.
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Thank you for sharing your thoughts.