This weekend Nora and I were playing dolls, and their conversation went something like this…

 “My friend made fun of me out on recess today. She called me names and made me cry,” my doll said.

In a sweet tiny voice Nora’s doll replied, “Don’t be sad. Don’t you know you’re a PRINCESS?!”

“Does that mean I shouldn’t let other people make me feel bad about myself?”

“Of course not! You’re a beautiful princess! Don’t be sad anymore.”

Nora had a wonderful response. It made me think about our adoption into God’s family through our faith in Jesus. In Romans 8 Paul reminds us, “All those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.”

There is so much in these short verses. Paul is telling us that if we have God’s Spirit, which comes from believing Jesus is the Son of God, then we have been adopted into His family. God the Father is our Abba or daddy. He is King and we are His children, therefore joint heirs with Christ…princes and princesses. 

In Nora’s thinking, if you are a princess, how can anything make you sad? You have everything you could ever dream of! What can rejection from people on the playground take away from that? It’s a lot like Paul’s thought in verse 18. How can any present sufferings even compare with the wonderful things waiting for us in Heaven? 

One of my favorite verses is 1 Corinthians 2:9, “But as it is written, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him.” 
According to GotQuestions.org (my favorite place to look for answers about the Bible), this verse is about spiritual truth that humans are not capable of understanding without God’s Spirit. This verse however, can also be used to describe our future in Heaven. Though this was not Paul’s initial point, the Bible reiterates this idea several times. God has marvelous things in store for His children…his princes and princesses. 

I’ve seen beautiful sunsets, and heard music that brought tears to my eyes, and imagined some wonderful reunions with loved ones…but NONE of it can compare to what God is preparing for me…and you!

So, just as Nora said, “You are a PRINCESS!” And that should be enough to bring a smile to your face, a lightness in your step, and to be able to let go of the things that have made you sad. They can’t compare to the glory that will be revealed to us when we know Jesus as Lord and Savior!