Admiration

Dear Victorious,

Who do you admire (besides God)? Why do you admire them?

Wondering

Dear Wondering,

Most of us admire someone for some reason or another. I think it's inherent in our nature to be drawn to role models --- people with characteristics or charms that we would wish for ourselves. I am no exception. In fact, I've at times struggled to walk that delicate line between admiration and jealousy - where I would covet those characteristics or charms (which is never good). So who do I admire and why?

I like great thinkers who are grounded in truth. Several Biblical writers come to mind of course. But in modern times, they are admittedly harder to find. It is easier to know other people by their failures than anything else. I admire people who spend time wrestling with circumstances to look past them and see truth. I admire people who work hard to stay ahead of deception. I admire people who are humble enough to step out of denial --- and keep stepping out of denial.

But the people I admire the most are the people who are the most broken and know it. Jesus said, in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5) that those who know they are spiritually poor are blessed. I think that those who truly know their spiritual poverty are also admired. In my case, they are admired because they truly do have something that I would very much wish for myself.