From the Top Down
From the Top Down!
Dr. J. Mike Minnix, Founder and Editor
PastorLife (www.pastorlife.com)
Colossians 3:23-24, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”
The French sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi created the Statue of Liberty out of sheets of hammered copper, while Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, the man behind the famed Eiffel Tower, designed the steel framework for the Statue of Liberty. Those who have seen it for the first time almost always describe the experience as moving and emotional – I know it was like that for me. But, there is a story surrounding the Statue of Liberty that most people do not know about, though it contains a great lesson for us as Christians.
It happened that a man once flew over the Statue of Liberty in a helicopter years after it was built and looking down he noticed something unusual about the top of the statue. He took a photograph of his discovery to show to his friends. What was it that he saw that fascinated him so much?
What he saw was the detailed and intricate work the sculptor had done on the top of Lady Liberty’s head. Her hair, the crown she was wearing and other details had been meticulously completed. Each strand of her hair had been vigilantly completed. The top of the crown, invisible from the ground, had been judiciously and artistically crafted. “So what!” you may say. Well, it happens that when the statue was created there were no helicopters or planes in the world and no idea that one might ever be created – in fact, there was no way for anyone to see the top of the statue at all. The creators and workers on the statue might well have judged that no one would ever see the top of the statue. So, why all that intricate, careful and meticulous work on the top of the statue? Think of the time, material and energy that might have been saved had they just left the top of the statue flat and plain.
Bartholdi and Eiffel had not risen to great heights in their artistic field by halfway doing their work. Doing ones best, even if you think no one is looking, is called character and involves dedication. That is what God calls for from each of us in our Christian lives. It has been asked, “What sin would you commit if you knew that no one would ever find out?” Your answer reveals your character. Doing your best regardless of how important it seems to anyone else is God’s call to us. Being faithful when no one is looking is the dedicated path the Lord desires for each of us.
One thing is certain – Someone is watching! Someone is watching from above. Let us be meticulous in our service to Him – it will matter one day when we are with Him and we are called upon to look down on the work we have done in His name. Let us do all that we do wholeheartedly, faithfully and completely for Him who gave His all to for us!
Dr. J. Mike Minnix, Founder and Editor - PastorLife
