Devotional 10-3-08

Who are you trying to please?

I'm hearing the phrase, "to whom much is given, much is expected," a great deal more than I used to. This is a verse from Luke 12:47-49, which according to the King James' version, reads: "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more."

A lot of folks are very familiar with the first part of this passage and most believe, if you have nice possessions -- the expensive house, the fancy car, and the hefty bank account -- then you properly inherit all of the headache and stress that comes along with the luxuries.

But what is often overlooked in this passage, is the second part of it. "And to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." Living about 15 minutes from Washington D.C., politics are always the talk of the day here. And many politicians, when running for office, want to set themselves apart from the "Washington insiders" or the politicians who are viewed as being bought by the lobbyists. After all, "to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." And while the special-interest politician is fulfilling the tall orders of those who have committed much, the ones who have committed nothing or have nothing to commit often go without.

I have come to personalize the second part of the passage and have applied it to my life. How many of us have gotten a great deal on a car, a discount at the sales counter or even landed a job because of someone we knew? We call it "networking." It happens all the time. And usually that friend wants to be repaid in some manner, don't they? Our friends sometimes commit or invest in us because they expect repayment of some kind.

At work, we enjoy being admired by the boss and our co-workers. And they will certainly put in a good word for us -- just as long as we don't apply for the same position they want. Or, when we have the boss' eye, it's all gravy until the competitor comes calling.

We can easily begin to measure who we are and just how far we can go by those who have committed to us in some way.

I love a lyric from an Eryka Badu song: "I work to please me, 'cause I can't please you," because at the end of the day, we have to work to make ourselves – and the Almighty -- happy. If we are allowing others to judge us and decide if we are smart enough, pretty enough, rich enough, or just plain out good enough -- we'll never reach our goals or come to appreciate what the Lord has in store for us.

I enjoy watching the wonder of what God can do when the odds are stacked against us. I love the stories of triumph and success when "no one believed" in someone.

Don't let others hinder you. Lift up your hands to the heavens and stretch!

Marina Matthews

Marina Mathews, is a former Huntington resident. She worked as a reporter and columnist at The Herald-Dispatch for 7 years and now lives in Montgomery Village, Md., with her husband Vada and two children, Todd and Ava, and their little dachshund, Reuben.