Great Crown ya Got There

1Co 15:58 So that, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Heb 6:10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name...
1Pe 5:4 And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a never-fading crown of glory.

Aren't those great promises? God sees and knows all the things we do for Him. He will bless our efforts so that they are not in vain. He will not forget what we have done but reward our efforts with a crown. So when we get to glory we will have this crown to show everyone else how wonderful we are. Or better yet, and much more modest, we'll be able to point out our children and grandchildren and say, "Now Thats some kinda crown ain't it? Thats my boy!" Or what if we get lots of crowns for all the great things we have done, surely the Lord will provide folks who only have one crown to help us carry them all. Right?
As I was talking with folks this week, one asked if there wasn't something we were going to do with these crowns, like lay them at the Lord's feet. Well, thats definitely the example that the 24 Elders are giving us.
Rev 4:9 says, "And whenever the living creatures gave glory and honor and thanks to Him who sat on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fell down before the One sitting on the throne. And they worshiped Him who lives for ever and ever, and threw their crowns before the throne..."
I'm not sure what we will do with ours. But I suspect that since they belong to Jesus, we'll give them back to Him. After all, what do they represent but the good work that He has done in us? Is there anything I can do in the Kingdom that wasn't given to me first? The ability to serve the Lord is a great thing, but its a gift from God. When we look around at the church family that we have, they, too, are a gift from God. Each and every one of them. Even the one you've been avoiding lately. Ha! Caught ya didn't I! Hey I've been there. I know what its like, to turn the other way when you see old "So-n-so" coming out of a class room. And then that same old "So-n-so" comes to see you in the hospital, and prays for you, and suddenly they aren't so hard to deal with.
Hey, I got an idea! Next time somebody says something to you that hurts your feelings, or acts indifferently, or even is a bit rude, close your eyes and imagine them standing over your bedside at the hospital praying for you. Or bringing you a casserole when you're home recuperating. Or sending you a card to let you know you're on their prayer list. Because there is a real good possibility that that's exactly what they would do. How do I know that? This church is filled with them. You're probably one of them if you're reading this.
Eph 4:32 Be ye kind, one to another. Tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's Sake has forgiven you!
There are over 40 different New Testament verses where we are told how to treat "one another." Look them up! And then lets get on with the business of "One anothering."
Bro. Clark