Worthy

Today at work, I had the opportunity to listen to a truly great historical leader. Among many other achievements, Andrew Young is a U.N. Ambassador, he was the Atlanta mayor that brought the Olympics here in 1996, and he was a good friend and colleague of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the civil rights movement. He has accomplished so much in his life and he came to speak at our staff meeting today. I just add this to the list of moments where I have thought, "I can't believe they're paying me for this!"

Among the many pieces of wisdom he passed along, he talked about the worthiness in facing difficulties. He talked about how people who tried to oppress the early Christian church had a lot of difficulty in doing so because the early Christians considered themselves blessed when God found them worthy enough for this type of treatment. As I've mentioned before, Paul said in his letter to the Romans, "we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us" (Romans 5:3-5). Ambassador Young was explaining how early Christians wanted to be mercenaries and martyrs and die for the sake of their cause. When their oppressors beat them, persecuted them and tried to shut them down, the early Christians would turn the other cheek and respond with love. He talked about how the civil rights movement was much the same way. Throughout history, people have realized that suffering for a cause (especially when that cause is Jesus) brings us closer to the very nature of God. God gave His only Son for us, He sent Him to suffer and die on a sinner's cross (which He willingly did!) in order to be in eternal community with us.

It got me thinking about the situation we are in. First, it certainly puts things in perspective and its always good to have some perspective in life. But in addition to that, it makes me feel very blessed that God considers us worthy to bear this burden. When Satan approached God about the character of Job, God said, "There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil" (Job 1:8). The devil responded by saying that could be done by anyone with the blessings God had given Job but he challenged that Job would not be such a faithful servant if he had nothing. God knew the character of Job and was proven right when Job remained faithful to God, even after losing his family, health, reputation, and great worldly wealth. God knew that Job was worthy of bearing that burden because he would use the situation to shine the light of the Lord through his circumstances and into the lives of others.

Today, Ambassador Young kept saying that a motto for his life was to those that much is given, much will be expected. Luke said this in chapter 12, verse 48: "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." We have been blessed well beyond what we deserve. We have been given life, both here on earth and eternal life in Heaven. We have been given good families and friends, education, opportunity, wealth, love, respect, good health...the list goes on and on and on. I count my blessings daily and still cannot fully comprehend the depth of them. I have been given much and therefore, much is expected from me. God has called me to stand tall, no matter the circumstances, to bear the burden, and to allow Him to use me to shine His light into a dark world. I am humbly grateful that God considers me worthy because I know that my "light and momentary troubles are achieving for [me] a glory that far outweighs them all. So [I] fix [my] eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).