A gem in your crown

When I was growing up, my grandmother always told me about people doing things just to get a gem in their crown. When I asked her what she meant, so always explained something about having a crown in heaven and for every good deed done on earth, a new gem was added.

There was the lady who would visit the shut ins every week. My grandmother told me the woman actually hated doing it, but she did it for the glory.

There was the distant relative that would come around every Christmas (the only time we ever saw her) and give us money.

There was the pastor that tried to make sure all of the children joined the church and were baptized. He was a numbers man.


As I have grown up, I stopped thinking about people doing things for the gems in the crowns. The thought left my mind for a while but has been brought back in recent months.

I was reminded of it again tonight. One of my closest friends is sick. She was doubled over in pain and I knew she needed help. I stopped what I was doing and went to be with her. I didn't do it for the glory or for the thanks. I did it because she truly means a lot to me and I didn't think she should be alone.

As we were sitting together, she decided that she needed to call her host family. She did and the woman said well we have plans but I will change them to come and get you. My friend told her there was no need for that, but the woman insisted. When my friend got off the phone she said to me, "she only wants to take me there so she can let me see a doctor then she can take me to the church and parade me around and let everyone know what she has done for me."

It saddens me to think that there are people in this world that would do that. As I thought more about it, I realized that my friend was right. The woman did want to parade her around for the glory.

God didn't call us to parade our good deeds for the glory. He called us to act justly,love mercy, and walk humbly with Him (Micah 6:8.) God doesn't call us to show off our good deeds or to expect thanks for them. So why do so many people do it?

Where are our servant hearts these days? Maybe I will have many gems in my crown, but I hope it's not because I did something just for the stone. I hope the gems are there because I have given of myself to show the love of Christ to others.