THE CROWN COMES WITH A PRICE

I grew up hearing this “saying”; “uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.” I don’t know if it is but maybe because I heard it so much, I think it is African in origin though I can’t confirm that. My understanding of it is - being sovereign in a kingdom or being in leadership position has responsibilities that come with it which must be borne by the person in the role. There is no crown without responsibilities no matter how small the kingdom may be. Though Rehoboam’s final decision to enforce the increase in tax was based on the counsel of his friends, he had to take responsibility for it. It was his kingdom that was torn in two; a kingdom passed on to him by his father who got it from his own father David. It was not an excuse that it was the counsel of his advisers. You cannot “dance the dance of the lion if you are just a cat; can you act the part of the king of the jungle?” 

There is such a crazy fight for leadership positions in the church today even leading people to start churches of their own. Everybody wants to be in charge of one thing or the other. If things were to go the way a number of us want it to, we will all be in leadership roles and there will be no followers. We have a strong dislike for servanthood forgetting that leadership demands a high level of stewardship which is learnt in the place of servanthood. The level of accountability that is demanded of leadership is so high; it is not just acquired. Maybe some people have the seed in them naturally, but one has to learn to manifest it; that does not just happen. It begins to be expressed as we go through that period when we are compelled to learn as we follow others faithfully and without an agenda. For some like David, God was their teacher; teaching David through the things he suffered as he tended sheep and as he was pursued from place to place by Saul: learning responsibility from caring for all those who came to support him as he prepared to enter his God ordained role. When one enters the role, it may be too late to learn and even if you do, it would be at the expense of others. 

Proverbs 31: 4 – 5 NKJ “It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it Is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes intoxicating drink; lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the justice of all the afflicted.”

Let us not be deceived; every crown comes with a price. You can no longer be like everyone else and do all they do. Believers often fight for the crown but when we get it, we want the right to pick and choose what responsibilities we take on or price we pay. Sorry, no deal! We think it is okay to leave the responsibilities to someone else maybe even offer to pay them not knowing that every other person can only assist but are unable to bear the responsibilities for a crown they do not wear no matter how much they desire to. Such irresponsible leaders only do what is convenient for them and are always quick to point out that someone else made the decision so that like Adam, they are hoping someone else would be blamed for their misdemeanors. These are the leaders that believe the crown is only for showing off and enjoying the benefits that come with it. Of course there are benefits and that is all they want. Such people play games to get these leadership roles using cunning craftiness or even money to manipulate people who eventually allow them into these places of leadership. Please do not rush in there; you need to know that your irresponsibility may cost someone their life leading them to hell and we shall all account to God for our stewardship on that day when we stand before Him.