St. Paul writes to the church in Colossae that every day he prays
for them to be filled with the Spirit so they “may lead lives worthy of
the Lord” (1:10). This morning I want to
help us think through what a life worthy of the Lord looks like.
Worth has several different meanings. One relates to value. When you trade in a car the bartering
question is “What is it worth?” An English royal is called a “worthy”, a
person of eminence. We say an outstanding
movie is worthy of an Oscar. This usage links worthiness with merit, with
something you deserve or earn. When we
describe a sturdy vessel as being seaworthy
we connect worth with capability, with being up to the task, and
ultimately with the notion of trust.
And while all of these are legitimate ways to understand the
meaning of worth, none are what Paul is getting at when he implores us
to live a life worthy of the Lord. The
Greek word he uses here appears six times in the New Testament. Five of these instances are a plea to act in
a manner worthy of God. In this usage, worth
is related to befitting, in keeping with, and being appropriate to. These verses are not about worth/value – we
are not better than other people because we obey God. They are not about worth/merit – we do not
earn God’s favor. And they are not about
worthy/capability – we are not super humans better able than others to stand up
to the challenges of life. Our lives are
worthy/befitting as we internally appropriate and externally reflect the
qualities God calls us to embody.
At every ordination service the candidate for the priesthood is
asked six questions which commit the person to a life worthy (befitting) of the
office. For example, “Will you do your
best to pattern your life in accordance with the teachings of Christ, so that
you may be a wholesome example to your people?”
We priests do not all look the same, but you all have a right expect us
to act in a certain way. The other
questions relate to respecting the bishop, reading and studying scripture,
administering the Word and sacrament, pastoring, and prayer. They begin to get at what it looks like to
live a life worthy (befitting) of the ordained ministry.
Our baptismal liturgy lays a foundation for a life worthy of God:
·
Renouncing
Satan, shunning worldly influences and corruption, and resisting destructive
urges.
·
Embracing
Christ as our Savior, accepting Christ’s grace and love, and trusting Christ to
guide our life.
·
Being
a faithful, contributing participant in a Christian community.
·
Resisting
evil in all its forms.
·
Witnessing
in word and deed.
·
Serving
others as you would serve Christ.
·
Working
for justice and peace while respecting the dignity of every human being.
And because we know these are tall tasks, we commit to doing them
with God’s help.
These are general principles, but what does it mean for you to
live a life worthy of God? One
commentator does what many do. He breaks
down today’s passage as if was a baking recipe. From his perspective Paul calls for four
ingredients:
1.
Be
fruitful in every good work.
2.
Steadily
increase in the knowledge of God.
3.
Use
the power of God to endure joyfully and to persevere patiently.
4.
Give
thanks to God for all God has done.
And while each of these comes right from Paul’s letter, they
hardly put to rest the question of what it look like for you to live a
life worthy of God.
While I can speak in generalities, the specifics are up to you and
specific to who God created you to be, what you have experienced in life, and
what the Lord has put in your heart. For
some, a life worthy of God includes singing in the choir, while for others (like
me) it involves not singing in the choir.
We all are called to live generous lives, but again this manifests
itself in distinctive ways. I think
about our parish. We have some people
who make significant financial gifts but seldom attend a church event. We have others whose gift of always being
present far outweighs the check they put in the offering plate. There are those who cheerfully lead us in a
task or project and there are those of us who follow their lead and do our part
to assist them. Ultimately worthy/befitting
is unique to each one of us because each one of us is unique.
Paul understands this and writes about how God endows us with
individual talents and imparts to us specific spiritual gifts. What you have been given becomes the building
blocks you need to us use for a worthy life.
You can only be who God created you to be, no one else. You only need to be who God created you to
be, nothing more (and nothing less).
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