I love, love, love the movie The King’s Speech. I’ve seen it twice.
In the movie, the Duke of York was destined to be King of Britain and to speak for the people and to the people, but he painfully stuttered with every conversation. With the patient, persistent help of Lionel – a speech therapist, friend, and coach, King George VI slowly overcomes the things that impede his ability to speak.
His progress sometimes seemed imperceptible and sometimes back to square-one. Yet through hard work, love, and acceptance, as well as learning to share honestly about all that he had endured in life he began to grow into a man with courage – in spite of his fear and pain – and a man who was great – exactly because he didn’t quit, but persevered in spite of much difficulty.
A life greater than where we started and greater than where we are – is possible for each one of us. It is possible for each one of us with the power of one good and wise friend/counselor, sharing honestly, and much hard work.
Sometimes we misinterpret it, but this is what God desires to do for you and for me, in our lives. Though it may have felt like it, the friend and counselor wasn’t trying to make life more difficult for King George the VI. Rather, the speech therapist desired to help King George grow into all that he could become.
In Scriptures, Jesus (our God-Savior), is depicted as our friend who claims this growth for us. But we mistake it for the wrong thing. God doesn’t give us rules and commands to be mean. He doesn’t do it to beat us down. God doesn’t tell us to “be perfect as I am perfect” to put a straight jacket on us and make our lives miserable. God does it to grow us into kings and princes who serve Him – and who then, whichever way our lives are turned, reveal His wonderful glory and grace in every facet.
God is at work in your life and my life. If we have accepted the gift of Christ as our Savior, then God desires to work in such a way that we become vessels worthy of His Spirit and life. We are fully accepted and fully loved and fully offered the gift of grace, but God desires to pour much more into our lives than we can imagine. Not to be mean, but to make us worthy. (We can’t earn His love or grace – there is simply growth and fruit that is to sprout and grow after we’re grafted into His life.)
King George the VI understood both his servitude and the royal privileges and responsibilities that he carried as King. He rose to fulfill his calling. May you and I fulfill our calling through willingness, honesty, and hard work as God shines His light and friendship upon us.
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. Revelation 5:9-10
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