The Ultimate Measure of a Man

For times when you need your life to be put back in perspective-- here's a poem that I wrote a while back. It started out with inspiration from Dr. Martin Luther King and it ended up being a reminder of all I have been given by the one, true King. It's funny how God does that...

Some people are born great while others are born greater

But sometimes even the greatest of the great don’t remember the image that they’re made in.

One great person I know of, His name is Dr. Martin Luther King.

He left this Earth, a hero, with a legacy in the making,

He said, “Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.
You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve.
You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”

You only have to put your hope and faith in The King who reigns from above.

“Only?” you ask, “Only put your hope in Him?

You say it like it’s so easy, but I know that the truth lies within because,

That’s like only diving down to the depths of the ocean

because I’ve been hurt so many times I can’t ever let this door open.

No one can get to me, they can’t read what’s on my heart today,

I won’t let them get inside no matter how hard you pray.

I am ME and ME is great, I’m the greatest you’ve ever seen,

And I won’t let anyone, not even God try to take that from ME.

I am strong, I am strong, but I’ve been hurt a lot before,

The difference is that was then but now I am locking the door.”

“ONLY??” you ask, “ONLY trust someone else?

I don’t think you understand, I can ONLY trust myself.

Because I’m the only one who knows, the only one who understands,

The only one who feels my heart beating and I won’t let you screw up my plans.”

But let me tell you, that’s not true, those are lies seared into your brain.

Those are lies that you developed to try to mask all of that pain,

Let me tell you, let me tell you, let me tell you something real,

There is one person in this universe that knows exactly how you feel

And He won’t steal you or reveal you, He will make your whole life new,

He won’t try to change you or rearrange you, He accepts you for you.

“And what makes ‘him’ different?”

What makes HIM different, you ask?

Well let me show you, you need to know too, because His cause is a mighty task.

He is The Creator. He is The Designer.
He is The Healer and Master Diviner.
He made The Heavens, He Made the Earth.
He gave life to the skies, the oceans, and the birds.
He is God. He is Lord. He is everything that is good.

But as He sat there on His Holy throne, He knew that we misunderstood.

So He sent Jesus, He sent Jesus, down to earth as a simple human.

As a baby He was born and later He died to make us new again.

And He was HURT, He was BETRAYED, even though in His friends you’d think He could trust.

HE IS 110% GOD, and yet He chose to live with us.

He came down to the grave and then went back to heaven, in order to restore.

And now we have His word and the Holy Spirit so we can remember that He's walked this road before.

So when you think you’re all alone and you’re afraid to trust other people,

Remember that the Cross means more than a friendly welcome sign on a church steeple.

It means HOPE, it means PEACE, it means LOVE, it means PERFECTION,

But not perfection in who we are-- in His death and resurrection.
So find Him sons and daughters. Find Him to live life True.
Find him and in him rest your hope, because He will always find you.

And on days when you’re lost and lonely and you think that you are done,

Read His word, and remember that the battle has already been won.

And He cares for you and He loves you and He will never let you go

Because the Lord Jesus Christ, oh He loves me, I

know because the Bible tells me so.

Dr. King was a really great person, I admire Him a lot.

And as he sits face to face with Jesus, I hope he is saving my spot

So I could ask Him a few simple questions and congratulate him on winning the cause,

The cause for the Kingdom of Christ, because that’s the greatest cause for applause.

“I just want to do God’s will. And he’s allowed me to go to the mountain. And I’ve looked over, and I’ve seen the promised land! I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land,”

Just as the Bible commands,

Martin Luther King put his faith in Jesus, and that is the ultimate measure of a man.