Fix Their Crown: Adding Value to Others

“Be the woman who fixes another Queen’s crown without telling the world it was crooked.” -unknown

In this ‘follow me, subscribe to me, look at me’ (guilty!) world, it’s easy to forget to focus on the people with whom you’re reaching out. What if we take a moment to stop looking at ourselves and making sure our crown is standing tall, and instead, take a look at the crown God has given to others.

The above quote is packed with truths about how we should treat people. Everyone has a crown of some sort. Sometimes, life happens, and emotional things cause the crown to fall or become crooked. By you acknowledging that the other has a crown, you are acknowledging that they are precious in the eyes of God, now in the eyes of you, and help them to walk in that. You take them aside and do what you can to make sure that crown is sitting straight and gleaming like the stars in the sky. How do we do this? Let me break it down for you for the moment you need to straighten someone else’s crown.

1. Examine yourself

Before any of the following can be done, you need to peek behind the curtain of your heart. Why do you want to reach out to this person? Is it to help? Is it to gossip? Is it so you can feel good about yourself? You also need to check on your own sins. You’re not better than the person you’re helping and sometimes you need to help yourself before you help someone else. Run yourself through a list before you send that first message.

2. Check-in

When you let someone know you’ve been thinking about them (in a not creepy way), you’ve just added value. You’ve let them know that for a second, someone in the world took a moment to acknowledge you. Not only is that comforting, it also helps you stay connected. Who is going to listen to anything you say if you haven’t tried to contact this person since high school?

3. Encourage

In order to feel valued, one must be given something of value. Something they can use in their life. People like free stuff. Now, I’m not talking about a bunch of gifts. I’m talking about priceless stuff. Being the shoulder to cry on, the sound board to bounce off of, the person to just be there. Those actions can sometimes be more encouraging than trying to fix a problem with advice.

“We need to build each other up in Christ and in order to do that, we need to stop focusing on the surface while ignoring the deep stuff.”

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4. Sow seeds

Branch out from your typical Christian responses (not that they’re bad) and look for more original ways to bring the love and hope of Jesus. If you read my last post, you’ll understand why. Jesus brings life. If you’re caring for a Christian, don’t be ashamed to ask them how their relationship with God is going. These things aren’t easy to talk about, but maybe they got some things to get off their chest. And as a Christian, you can be there to hear, understand, and not judge them. If they’re not a Christian, be gentle and maybe share about how God has gotten you through tough times. Our job is to shine God’s light not to blind them with it.

5. Respect boundaries and privacy

These moments of edification should happen in private and in appropriate settings. Exercise discernment and caution with whom you reach out and what you talk about. Don’t broadcast other’s problems or make sure everyone can see that you’re being nice. Be direct but loving. We need to build each other up in Christ and in order to do that, we need to stop focusing on the surface while ignoring the deep stuff.

” Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

James 1:12 (NIV)

If you’re wanting to be the one helping with people’s crowns and you’re not sure how it should look or what it should feel like, just look at the fruit of the spirit in Galations 5. Does your interaction demonstrate the Godly attributes it needs to? You might not get the results you want, but it’s never wrong to offer someone something good. It’s never harmful to make someone feel treasured. It’s never wasted to share the love of Jesus.

Strengthen your brothers and sisters. Offer them someone better to look at than just you. Show them love, show them Jesus.

God bless!

-LJM