Photo Credit: Kevin Payravi, Wikimedia Commons

” For unto whomever is given, of him shall much be required,” Luke 12:48

In 1998 a movie titled “Ever After: A Cinderella Story” starring Drew Barrymore came out.  Over the years this has become one of my favorite movies to watch because it gives a realistic human experience to that fairy tale of old.  With a comedic twist is shows one way that this romance could have played out if it were real.

The so-called Prince Charming in this movie had a name, it was Henry.  Henry was a some-what spoiled prince who didn’t always want to operate under his parents rule.  He didn’t want to be king and he didn’t want to be forced into marriage with a complete stranger because of obligation.  It was around this time when his mother Queen Marie said, “Sweetheart . . . you were born to privilege and with that comes specific obligations,” (IMDb).

This quote came to my mind one day as I was traveling on a busy road in my neighborhood.  Traffic was running pretty smoothly that day.  There were several cars in front of me including an unmarked police car.  As we began to approach the intersection the light turned red for us.  After a few seconds of sitting somebody got impatient.  You got it, the police car.  He turned on his lights and sirens then proceeded through the red light.  I watched to see if he was in fact attending to an emergency or if he used his privileges as a police officer to do something the rest of us could not.  Well, by now you should know the answer.  When he got to the other side of the intersection the lights and sirens were turned off and he drove on as if everything were okay.

I thought to myself the shame of it all.  Here is a man in a respected office, but instead of being an example to the civilians around him he chose to spot his office by acting as any ordinary man.  He ran the red light, point-blank.

As frustrating as it may be to see these occurrences, it also gives a very vivid example of our role in Christ.  1 Peter 2:9 declares, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him  who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light,” (KJV).  What this verse does is speak of a royal lineage in Christ.  It tells us the office we now hold is not that of the common man.  Prince Henry was born a royal, but we were born-again to live royally the privileged life that He offers us.  That which He extends to us is enormously, wonderfully blessed.  But, with it comes responsibility.

The latter half of the above verse says we are to “shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”  What that means is that we are to magnify our office.  We are to bring glory to Him through our life.  We are to show the world what it means to have Christ save you and to give you the privileged life.  It’s not by running the “red lights” of life, rather it’s done by walking circumspectly, Eph. 5:15.  It’s done by patiently enduring those “red lights” in life that try to hinder our progress in Christ because we are an example to the world.

The world is watching us.  They want to see if the life we claim to have in Christ is real.  Our day-to-day affairs become our living testimony.  It does not matter if your days are spent in an office, on a construction site, or even as an at-home mom; someone is watching you to see how you “shew forth the praises of him who hath called you.”  What will they see?  Someone who is responsible with their privileged life – a life that will draw men to Christ?  Or, will they see a “red light” runner; someone who taints their office?  “For unto whomever much is given, of him shall much be required,” (Luke 12:48, KJV).