The movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, shows the story of a man who never
achieved his dreams of travelling the world, but who made a difference in the
lives of everyone around him. What he discovers in the end is that king Solomon
was correct in saying that one should take pleasure in eating, drinking, and
being married because joy in that is a gift from God. His wonderful life was
not my dream life in any context, but I think I now understand something of the
transformation he had to go through to recognize the great gift he had been given.
Forrest Gump follows along similar lines. He is a man to
whom life happens. “Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what
you’re going to get.” The thing about chocolates, though is that every one of
them can be delicious…if you are not dreaming of getting the ‘other’ piece
that’s still in the box. We like him because even though he didn’t try, he
still became a millionaire. The lesson we forget to take is that he would have
loved his life no matter how it turned out.
To take a more widely respected example, one could examine
the career of George Washington and his constant desire to return to his farm.
However, he consistently sacrificed his interest in a quiet and peaceful life
in order to give his life for others. While his aspirations were correctly
placed, his actions earned him a legacy – not because he sought to be famous,
but because he did what was right.
Martin Luther, in a very different context, simply wanted
to disseminate a few wonderful truths he had discovered, but in doing what was
right found himself in a war with most of the established western powers. This
man did not begin his life with a careful self-analysis that led him to believe
his gifts and talents perfectly aligned with a career goal of ‘mastermind of
the reformation.’ Instead, his legacy was created by his search for God and his
consistent adherence to what he believed was the truth.
The one difficulty in this exploration is dealing with
Jesus. Until his ministry began, his life seems to fit in with the model I am
refining here, but after His baptism, it was completely different. One thing
remains constant, though, Jesus did not seek a legacy (glory) for Himself but
for His Father and only did those things His Father told Him to do. Jesus
refers to taking up a cross every day, dying to oneself and taking His yoke
upon us. However, the purpose behind this is a yoke that is easy and burden
that is light. Even in this my greatest example, I do not find a king riding a
war horse into Jerusalem, but a humble teacher riding a donkey amid his twelve
disciples. This does not discount his anger against evil in the temple, His
brutal confrontation of the Pharisees, and His constant war with the kingdom of
darkness. However, these things do not typify our Savior.
His greatest command was not to fight the kingdom of
darkness, or even don’t waste your life. The greatest command to love God and
love others has remained constant since creation. For some, following this
command will lead to a lasting legacy and a dramatic life. For most, however,
such a lifestyle refers right back to a life of quietness and peace in which the
Christian should thrive.
Such an understanding of the Christian religion is not
often pursued except by default. Most Christians feel that they should accomplish
something for God - perhaps even something great (a large ministry, many people saved, etc...). Usually this requires having money and influence. Considering the people that God often chose to
accomplish His work throughout history (Joseph, Rahab, Gideon, David, Mary, Peter, etc...), one would be better off pursuing a life
of eating drinking, and enjoying life with his/her spouse than to strive after illusive accomplishments.
It is in this way that the kingdom of God once again
defies expectations and the least become greatest. It is where the quiet and
peaceful life is an investment in the kingdom of God. It is not where a person can check out of reality to live in a cocoon, but it is a place where the
responsibility of changing the world rests on the shoulders of its Creator.It requires one to recognize the true source of change: the Holy Spirit working in the hearts of men.
When God’s people will humble themselves, pray, turn from their sin, and seek
Him, then He is the one who accomplishes something great. He is the One who
gets the glory, and we are the ones who enjoy the benefits of His goodness.
