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Come, you who are blessed by My Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. – Matthew 25:34b
My daughters and I recently snuggled together and read The Princess and The Three Knights by Karen Kingsbury. It’s story of a king who sets out to find a young man worthy of his daughter’s hand in marriage. He challenges the young knights to prove their courage, strength, kindness, and character through a series of tests. As my little girls listened to the words and marveled at the pictures, they imagined themselves as the beautiful princess on the page.
When they were young they loved to dress up. They would put on pretty gowns with high heel shoes and twirl around in front of a mirror. Now that they are older and the precious little dresses are packed away, they still look in the mirror and smile at what they see.
My girls know they are daughters of the King.
Their royal status has nothing to do with who their earthly father is but whom their Heavenly Father is. As their mom, one of my many jobs is to teach them what the Bible says about them. They are God’s workmanship created to do good works (Ephesians 2:10) and joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). How I treat them plays a big role in this.
Here are some of the things I do to affirm their royal status:
- Welcome them with fanfare. Dogs are known as man’s best friend because they are always thrilled to see their owners. They practically jump out of their skin in greeting them. Taking a cue from our canine pals, I greet my little ones each morning with a big hug and a kiss. When I pick them up from school, even before they’re able to mutter the words, “Can I have a play date?” I let them know how happy I am to see them.
- Shower them with treasures. The Bible says that the tongue has the power of both life and death in it (Proverbs 18:21). We can choose to use our words to heal, encourage, and restore our children. Each morning I send my children off to school, I speak a blessing over them. I tell them, “You’re awesome, don’t let anyone tell you any different” or “You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you and He is with you all day.” And when I tuck them into bed at night I say, “I love you for who you are, not what you do. I am proud of you because you are mine.”
- Rescue them from the dragons. In today’s busy world it’s easy for us to get isolated from one another. School, sports, church activities keep us on the go and while we may be having fun together we may not necessarily be connecting. Once a month I spend one-on-one time with each of my kids by taking them on a lunch “date”. I pick them up from school and let them choose where we’ll go. Sometimes it’s a park or a picnic, other times it’s a new restaurant in town. When we spend time together, I make them the focus of conversation, open doors for them, and “pick up the check”. I set a standard for the way they should treat others.
- Build them a castle. The world is at times unpredictable but our homes can be a place of certainty and security for our children, a place where they are free to be themselves, be heard, and respected. I maintain daily routines that my kids can count on such as a morning devotional time followed by prayer, dinner together, and reading before bed.
- Laying the foundation of who they are in Christ now will help my girls make wise choices in the future.
The princess in the book didn’t give her heart to the young knights who were arrogant or greedy but to the one that understood that true love protects. She understood her worth and value. Her father was the king, and she, like my daughters, knows that their worth and value is found in Christ.
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Your Turn
What are some ways that you affirm your kids’ royal status as daughters and sons of the King?
