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John Hembree

An Everyday Expression of Hope and Its Potential

An Everyday Expression of Hope 

Much Given…Much Required

June 25, 2012 by John Hembree Leave a Comment

Finished the Steve Jobs book and immediately began reading Kisses From Katie, a book by Katie Davis with Beth Clark, of Katie’s life as a young woman and how she has committed her life to the nation, people and children of Uganda.

In reading the first few chapters it is evident, Katie Davis has left everything behind to pursue what is ahead.

She wrote frankly regarding the contrast of American life and life in the remote areas of Uganda. She spoke of how this commitment had brought her sadness and difficulties but had also brought her a peace and a purpose.

In one brief mention she references Luke 12:48, a scripture, at least a part of it we could all quote. And yet we find it so hard to understand and even harder to live.

“And from everyone who has been given much shall much be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.”

I have heard this verse all my life, studied it, taught it. In this instance, it jumped off the page at me, almost screaming not of the gift, but of the requirement. God entrusts each of us with gifts, (I am sure I am going to inadequately make this point), but he entrusts us also with special gifts, gifts to change the world in which we live and to see that gift fulfilled, God may require even more.

For one who has been given the capacity to love and love big, then guess what, the requirement may be to hurt and hurt big as well. To feel the pain of suffering in others and in yourself so that you might love others through their pain. Their big pain will need some big, big love.

Or we may be required to forfeit our own dreams in this life in order to fully realize and fulfill the gifts that God wishes to use in his life for us.

Katie Davis ended one of her chapters this way.

It’s a long paragraph but worth the moment spent reading it.

“Opportunities to make someone else’s life better were so much more attractive to me than the thought of the comforts I once knew. The longer I stayed, the more I realized that deep fulfillment had begun to swallow my every frustration. No matter how many contradictions I struggled with, how difficult certain situations were, no matter how lonely I got, no matter how many tears I cried, one truth remained firmly grounded in my heart. I was in the center of God’s will, I was doing what I was created to do.”

The word that is sobering but often overlooked in the discussion of gifts and the requirements of those gifts?

The word “much”.

JHH

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