The Prized Possession

My parents love British television and movies. I, on the other hand, am not usually so fond of these beloved masterpieces. Recently, however, my mom introduced me to Downton Abbey, a period drama set in Great Britain during the early 1900’s. I’m starting to change my tune a little. Even my eighteen-year-old daughter loves it, which must mean it’s pretty amazing.

The first season captures the essence of the feudal system, where the class structure is unbreakable. The lords own the land, and the servants work either on the land itself or inside the lavish mansions as house attendants. There is no crossing over. If you are born into the upper-class, you stay there. If you are born into the lower class, there is no chance of moving up. That is your life from cradle to grave.

It is so interesting to watch the rich dialogue between the characters and the dynamic of their relationships—especially between the classes. In this particular series, the lords and ladies are generally very close to their servants and care a great deal about their well-being. Many of them go above and beyond to help them succeed, even if it means sacrificing their own standing in society.

What I noticed right away in nearly every character is this almost desperate need to find some sense of worth and purpose for their life. You see, the landowners don’t do anything. They simply own land. They don’t work. They don’t even get dressed by themselves or brush their own hair. They don’t cook or serve their own food, except on rare occasions. And they don’t travel without a driver. The men tend to the tasks of keeping the finances in order and the women host social events. That’s about it.

Then war happens. WWI invades their comfortable (although very boring) lives and everything starts to change. In the trenches there are no first and second class citizens. One soldier from the aristocracy notices this right away as he remarks, “War has a way of bringing out what is really important.” Interesting.

As the magnificent Downtown mansion is turned into a makeshift hospital, the entire household is forced to adapt to some pretty drastic lifestyle changes. The daughters of the wealthy lord Grantham seem to welcome these changes more than anyone. In spite of their new duties as nursemaids, one of them admits, “I feel useful for the first time in my life and that can be a good thing.”

I love taking lessons from good stories; especially fictitious ones. It means the writer sees value in timeless truths—more importantly that there actually are some timeless truths still out there. Not everything is relative.

Whether you realize it or not, we are in a war. And even though we can’t see our opponent, we can see the carnage and damage he leaves behind. Much like the characters in Downtown Abbey, we need to see our war as something that gives us purpose. In order for the men to fight with unity, it was necessary to put down the barriers that separated them and be united for one cause. They were proud and honored to serve together. They felt privileged to fight for and protect what was important to them.

Instead of retreating and insisting on their propriety, the women of the aristocracy saw an opportunity to break free from their boring lives of convention and do something worthy of life. And guess what? It changed them—for the better. War changed the face of the land, but it also changed the hearts of men and women. It always does.

Isn’t it about time we view our war as a privilege to jump in and get our hands dirty? To step over our boundaries and work together for something worthy of life? Stop putting your weapons in the enemy’s hands by giving into petty, destructive attitudes and behavior. Don’t fight for things that are dishonorable to the Lord and His sacrifice for you. Love one another deeply—yes, even family.  Care for the needs of those who are broken and lonely. If we do our part, God will take care of the rest.

Purpose is an inherent desire built into each person. We long for it. Don’t let another day go by that makes you feel as if there’s nothing to live for. The hope we have in Christ gives us our sense of fulfillment and it’s more than we’ll ever need.

After all, most of us want to be known for something—to be part of something bigger than ourselves. Even those who would rather spend their life in the background, lost in the crowd. Deep down, even those people want to know they made a difference in someone’s life. If we really admit it, despite all of our efforts to be successful, our real success comes not from what we achieve or earn but what we give away—what we invest in the lives of others. Those are God’s attributes demonstrated through us. It’s how we know we belong to Him.<>

When we put others needs above our own, even when we ourselves may be hurting, the supernatural power of God is able to work in us and change us. I can’t explain in human terms what happens when we allow God to use us in this way because it’s so unnatural. Sure, many people who don’t know the Lord through a personal relationship can give and serve others. But when God is the One people see in us, not just our abilities, it changes our view of who we are (and who they really see). It serves to reinforce our understanding of what God is able to accomplish through us.

As Christians, we know the central focus of our faith is the Cross. But I wonder sometimes if we will ever truly understand the profound meaning behind it—the great sacrifice that was made and the power behind it. God saw how wickedness was destroying us and His heart was broken. He loves us beyond our understanding but it wasn’t enough to save us. Jesus had to shed His blood to redeem our souls because is in the blood. When we see this—when we are constantly overwhelmed by the grace He has flooded into our lives—we are never the same. We can’t possibly be.

Redemption is defined as the payment of an obligation or deliverance upon payment of ransom; rescue. It is so incredible to know that Jesus willingly paid our debt. He rescued us! Shouldn’t that be enough for us to trust Him with our lives? Most of us would say it is, but we still live in our sin and with a defeated mind and attitude. The devotional My Utmost for His Highest says this:

I must learn that the purpose of my life belongs to God, not me. God is using me from His great personal perspective, and all He asks of me is that I trust Him. I should never say, “Lord, this causes me such heartache.” To talk that way makes me a stumbling block. When I stop telling God what I want, He can freely work His will in me without any hindrance. He can crush me, exalt me, or do anything else He chooses. He simply asks me to have absolute faith in Him and His goodness.
[November 10th]

C.T Studd once said, “If Jesus be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for him.” Life seems a lot different when you look at it that way, don’t you think?

I know this may sound harsh, but the call God puts on us is no small thing. It requires a great sacrifice because He gave us His ultimate sacrifice. How can we expect Him to change us when we constantly try to take back control of the plans for our life? This is a battle I face regularly. When I remember what I’m supposed to be doing, it truly does make my load a little lighter. In the deepest places of my heart, I do want to let go and just let God do His thing. It brings a freedom I can’t describe.

For whatever reason, this ability to trust comes easier for some than others. It is usually the stubborn ones—the ones who