Losing the Spotlight

"If a commission by an earthly king is considered an honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?"
~ David Livingstone ~

Have you ever watched The Princess Diaries? Do remember the scene where Mia and her grandmother, the Queen, roll down the hill right into the trolley? Everyone is having a hissy fit until the Queen compliments the police officer and trolley driver for their service and goes goo goo about the wonderful job they are doing. On the spot, she makes up some "award" to bestow upon them (I believe she calls it the "Order of the Rose") and knights them with the faulty emergency brake which caused the accident in the first place. The award means nothing, is not even real, yet after the Queen's dubbing, these men soften considerably, stand up a little taller and are the envy of the witnesses. Why? They've been recognized. They've been honored. Their service has been deemed well done by a Queen in front of lots of people.

But a commission from our Heavenly King most often involves NO recognition whatsoever. No one applauds the mother who chooses diapers and sticky fingers over business lunches and raises. The man who consistently writes his check to support the ministry is never congratulated. There are no accolades for the woman who faithfully prays for many who are never aware of her intervention. Is this why we think it a sacrifice, because we do it for God's glory alone, without expectation of receiving honor?

What's worse, our King is not always recognized as a king, which sets us up for people misunderstanding us too. It's not that we don't think it an honor to serve our Lord. We do, and we love Him, so we do it. But we know our human longings for validation and recognition will be given up if we are to serve Him well. That is our sacrifice.



Check out Laurel Wreath for more takes on this quote.