The play, Once upon a mattress

My wife and I got to go with some good friends to see a High School play
titled: Once upon a mattress. For those who don't know the story line, it is
something like this: To test a girl (who claimed to be a princess) to see if
she was a real princess, a dried pea was placed under 20 mattresses by the
evil queen. If the girl felt the pea it proved she was a real princess
because of her extreme sensitivity. The girl in the play passed the test,
(with a little help from her friends). She felt the pea, proved she was a
real princess and passed the test.


As I thought about that simple play, I thought about how much it mirrored
real life. We often claim to be "real" Christians to our families, our
friends, our co-workers and perhaps the world in general. In fact we can
claim to be real royalty also.1 Peter 2:9 tells us, "But you are not like
that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's
very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God,
for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light."


The devil is intent on proving that we are not special, not royalty, not
Christians. Much like the evil queen in the play, he constantly presents us
with tests designed to cause us to fail in being worth to wear the name
"Christian".


Surviving these tests is never easy and often quite unpleasant. It could be
resisting the influence of someone at school or work, or even within your
own family to say some un-Christian word, loose control of our emotions or
participate in some un-Christian act. It might be the influence of the world
that causes us to be tempted to forget our Christian values, morals or
ethics.


Satan tries to hide many lumps under the mattresses that make up the layers
of our lives. The only true protection we have is to remain true to our
relationship to Christ. Our world (guided by Satan) will lie to you and try
to cause you to doubt God, His Word and other believers. I like what Paul
wrote in Romans 3:4, "Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true."


Now in the play, as I said, the princess passed the test because of the help
of her friends. We as Christians need to be there to help one another also;
because that is the only way we will survive in this world. One of my
favorite passages is Hebrews 3:12-14, where we read: "Be careful then, dear
brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and
unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other
every day, while it is still "today," so that none of you will be deceived
by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting
God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that
belongs to Christ."


This is one of my favorite passages, because I know I can't make it through
this world alone. I need your encouragement in my life and I believe that
you need the encouragement of other Christians also.


How about you, will you be proven royalty or not?

--Russ Lawson