A Man of Worth

He reclined atop his marble chair
With wisdom in his eyes.
The boy who gazed at him
Stood back in awe of his great size.
He who looked as if with one clenched fist
And one gripping hand
Would take his slightly lifted foot
To try to stand.
But the man did not move.
He did not speak.
With all of his magnificence
He could not even peek
To see the boy standing in awe,
To see the boy who had come
To see the face of a great man.
"I am not Lincoln,"
Was the silent cry
Of the man from his marble chair
Who did not blink, nor think,
Nor let the wind blow through his hair.

If this is not the man himself
How much greater must he be
For whom the memorial was made?

Now next time you see somebody 
Looking at your eyes
And wondering who you are,
Do not be surprised.
Yes, you may be great in many ways
And to deny this is to lie.
Acknowledge what they recognize
And then point to the sky,
For time will soon weather your eye,
Erode your face,
Chip at your joints
And take you from this place,
But Who you stand for is a Man
Who too has left this world,
A man Who now you imitate,
But your mouth is not furled.
Your feet are not stone. 
Your eyes can see.
Your small magnanimity
Proclaims His greater majesty.

Made in the image of God,
Commemorate His deeds.
"I am not God, but He will soon return."

Day 7

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Do you ever think people hate God because they look at us and we don’t make Him look too pretty? They look at us and they think that’s what God is about. Paul says that we are ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). Ambassadorship is a serious job. You represent your country, and your relations have real-world wide-reaching implications.

Do you think of your life as a job? I’m not talking about your vocation or responsibilities around the house. I’m talking about your whole life. Your entire life. You represent the kingdom of heaven. Don’t take that top mean everything you do must be grueling. Hopefully you have a vocation you love. At least you want a job you enjoy.

It’s unfortunate that so many people have a misperception of Christ and the Church. Too many have hurt others in His Name. Too many have judged in God’s place. Too many try to be perfect. Too many try to remove themselves from the unpleasantries of the world and the people who inhabit it.

Don’t try to be perfect, because you aren’t. Don’t try to be everything, because you aren’t, and God alone is. People need to know you are broken, hurt, have warts, have hang-ups, maybe worse than their own. They need to know God is approachable through mercy alone, and we are no better than anyone else.

It is a great mystery that we cannot be all God is and yet He wants us to represent Him to the world. It is a wondrous thing that when God looks at us, He sees His perfect Son. He wants other people to look at us and see His Son too. Not His glorious angels. It is a great privilege and a great responsibility.

If you enjoyed this material, please leave a like or comment on my blog and you can purchase my book, Learning to Love: A Collection of Poetry and 40 Daily Devotions, on Amazon. Until next time, God bless.