Movie Devotions: The King's Speech - Fulfilling Our Calling - Ephesians 4

Ephesians 4:1             As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

 As per our usual custom, our family went to the movies on Christmas Day. We’ve done this for several years because we enjoy the atmosphere at the picture house, as well as the blockbuster of a movie that we choose to see.

This year, we chose “The King’s Speech,” which is definitely not a blockbuster but it may win more than a few Oscars. It’s about the story of King George VI of Britain who suffered from a terrible stammer. Each time he was called upon to make a public speech, his stuttering took over and ruined his presentations. When his older brother abdicated the British throne, George was thrust into the forefront of the British Empire and had to make many broadcasts. When war came to Britain in 1939, King George had to rally the nation. Without the determination of his Australian Speech therapist, the new king would never have been able to do this and the encouragement that the British public needed in the darkest days of war would never have been accomplished.

The movie is fantastic and I heartily recommend it to everyone. There is some cussing involved but it’s used to express the utter frustration that the king experiences with his stammer. Both Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush play their roles perfectly. This is a classic drama and a great representation of both these award winning actors.

King George fulfilled his calling to which he was appointed. He never chose to do this, but when called upon to lead his people, he put duty first and set aside his own preferences. He was one of the most beloved rulers that Britain has ever known and his own daughter Elizabeth epitomizes all that was best in him, as well as her devoted mother.

We are all given a calling in this life. We may not be called to be kings and queens of the nations, but are we expected to live our lives as heirs to God’s Eternal Kingdom. This means that as Christians our lives are meant to be significantly different from those around us. Our faithful calling is Christ’s vehicle to a fallen world and a faithless culture. If we set aside Christ’s desire for us in His work, then all that we accomplish in this life are our own preferences instead of the purposes that God has in store for us.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we are all different and individual. Our backgrounds, cultures and influences over our lives are as varied as we are. Yet with all of our differences, You call us to that one sameness in You. Help us to cast aside our preferences and to carry with us Your purposes each day. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send John an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Richard III

John 6:15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

I love February because it’s Oscars month on Turner Classic movies. I get to record and watch the old movies with famous actors like Errol Flynn, Olivia de Haviland, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, and Greer Garson.

For the past two night, I’ve been watching Laurence Olivier in Richard III. He plays one of the sleaziest, greediest, and wickedest villains on the screen. I love Shakespeare’s plays anyway, but Olivier’s acting is absolutely amazing.

Richard, Duke of Gloucester, cheats, conspires, and kills his way into becoming the King of England. Along the way, he makes many enemies and at the end of the play, he is left destitute on the battlefield. That’s when Olivier utters the immortal lines: “A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!” Justice is served and the villainous king is cut down and killed by his rival.

When I read the Gospel passage this morning, I was reminded that the people wanted to make Jesus their king, just because He supplied them with fish and bread. They wanted Him to provide for them, to heal their sicknesses, to satisfy their hunger, and to make their lives pleasant.

But Jesus was on a mission from God, so He couldn’t be tempted by such an offer. He was serving God, not Himself. He was doing God’s will, not His own.

This also reminds me that our faith in Christ is purely meant to glorify and honor Him. If we seek Jesus to bless us all the time and to make our lives easier, then we’ve crowned the wrong kind of king in our hearts. If we place our lives into His hands and seek to serve His kingdom here on earth, then we’ve truly made Him the King of our lives.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to place You at the center of our lives and to honor You with our service to Your Kingdom. Enable us to keep You as the King of our hearts and Lord of our days. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.