More Than Fair

The Olympics are in full swing this week.  Last week we were seeing the swimming events and this week the emphasis switches over to track and field.  We get to see great athletes performing at their best and through this inspiring us all.  The athlete's from the United States are doing very well.  It seems that in most of the events their are members of the US Olympic Team at least in contention for medals if not winning them outright.  Well done.

I can't help having a soft spot for countries that don't win that many medals.  As of this morning, Team USA has won 69 medals in this Olympics.  I can't say that I know who has won for which events.  I could piece together a list, but it would be far from complete.  (The name Michael Phelps would cover several.)  But I think about Puerto Rico.  They have won a total of eight medals ever in the history of the Olympics and their first gold just this weekend.  Or Grenada who as a country has won only two medal in the history of the Olympics.  Both by the same athlete.  All I'm saying is that it has to be a big deal.

One issue that seems to constantly overshadow the Olympics is the issue of performance enhancing drugs.  It seems like their is a side note of disqualified athletes due their drug use.  Of most note, a large part of the Russian Team was banned from this Olympics.  I am relieved that so far, it seems that Team USA has been clean.  The United States has great athletes who win a lot of medals.  But we also have a tremendous amount of resources to devote to training and many other things to be proud of as a country.  If we were cheating on top of it, all of our accomplishments would seem pathetic.

The United States really is an exceptional country.  We have been blessed by a tremendous amount of resources.  We have the ability to amass great wealth and direct it into any number of areas at the same time.  But I believe that those blessings come with a great responsibility.  We need to set the example for other countries.  We need to be squeaky clean.  We need to go beyond.  Fair really isn't good enough, we need to be more than fair.  

And I would say that "more than fair" should be the American philosophy in all things.  We can afford to be generous and gracious and forgiving.  We need to set ourselves to a higher standard so that we are the example for the rest of the world.  When we say, "Why give money to poor countries when we have poverty at home?" We should all respond that we need to do something about both.  And we can if we have the will.

God calls His people to be a Royal Priesthood.  God sets us apart.  We have been lavishly blessed by God and this blessing comes with a responsibility.  We have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit.  And as we let the Holy Spirit imbue our lives we produce a good fruit.  The Bible says that the fruit of the spirit is joy, peace, forbearance, kindness goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  These should be the qualities that others see in us.  As Christians "fair is fair" should not be our standard.  For a people as blessed as us, it should always be said that we are more than fair.

Watch this video from Pastor Chris.

As a Christian in America we are doubly blessed.  We live in a country with tremendous resources and the freedom to practice our beliefs as we are led.  On top of that we have the blessings from God known by every Christian regardless of circumstance.  With all of these blessings in our lives we need to remember to be more than fair with those we encounter so that the love of God can be seen through us by our words and deeds.