To Serve or To Be Served?

How do you picture God reacting when you stand before His throne? If you're a Christian, do you embrace the scripture that describes a crown of righteousness reserved for you? ("Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing." 2 Tim. 4:8.) Do you look forward to the day when you will hear "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matt. 25: 21, 23)?

Perhaps, like me, you will find this passage (Luke 17:7-10) a little more difficult to digest:
⁷ “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? ⁸ Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? ⁹ Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? ¹⁰ So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”

What? No crown? No "well done, good and faithful servant"? No "enter into my rest"?

This passage doesn't contradict those other passages, but it does speak to our heart and our motives. Are we living in accordance with God's Word because of the rewards we believe we will receive? Are we thinking of each person we share the Gospel with as another notch on our Bible belt? Do we entertain for one moment that we have done anything deserving of praise and honor from the Most High? Lord, have mercy on us if we let such a thought enter our minds.


Now compare this passage with Matthew 7:22 "Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’" Do you see the similarity of heart? Do you see the pride inherent in the thought that our Master should serve us or that 'I' did anything of merit?

Anything that is accomplished of eternal value through our lives, will only be accomplished by God, through His Spirit, living in us.

So how could I think that I deserve a crown or a throne or even a "well done" when it isn't I who did it, but Christ living in me?

Easier said than done to be sure.

Do I remember that showing love to someone is not about how I feel or what they deserve, but about allowing the Holy Spirit to work through me? When I finally DO the thing God has called me to - serve in the nursery, help a family in need, give to help missions, show love to my co-workers - do I pat myself on the back and feel satisfied with that meager offering? Do I compare my service to others and set myself up as judge?

Do I envision God saying, "Come sit down, you've had a tough day in the field, let me wait upon you"?

Lord, Have mercy on me if I seek anything but to serve you, if I entertain for one instant the notion that I deserve something other than eternal separation from you, that my works merit any compliment or reward from you. Let my heart's desire be to serve, rather than to be served. 

What Verse do you NOT believe...

My friend Lori Roeleveld wrote an excellent blog (http://networkedblogs.com/uyzew)
about how there are certain verses we, devout Christians, don't really believe. Or at least we don't live as if we believe them. And after all, the way we live reveals what we really believe. She concluded by asking, "What passage do you NOT believe?"

Since I've never been accused of being succinct, my response would clearly not fit within the parameters of a comment.

We'll start with the verse that I cling to, memorized long ago, and quote often if for no other reason than to remind myself that I SHOULD believe it.

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28.

It gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling just saying it doesn't it? I mean, it's basically saying, "it's all good." What's hard to believe about that, right?

What about when it doesn't seem good? Is cancer good? Is the death of someone you love good? Is abuse good?

Of course not. None of these things are good and God's Word isn't calling them good. However, it is telling us that God can work through even these things, and worse, to bring about good. I've even seen Him do it.

So why is it that when someone treats me badly, falsely accuses me, or hurts someone I love, I have such a hard time? I'm not even talking about forgiving them - that is sometimes the easy part. I'm talking about seeing that hurt and recognizing God's hand in using it for my good. Doesn't Romans 8:28 promise that God is going to work that for my good? Of course He is! In that case, shouldn't I be giving thanks and praising Him for the situation and how, in His wisdom and power, He is going to turn something that seems so bad into something good?

That leads to the second passage I struggle with...1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

It doesn't say, "Rejoice when the sun shines, pray when you have a spare moment, and give thanks when you get that big promotion." THAT I could live with. THAT I could follow. But God wants us to see life from a different perspective - a heavenly and heaven-centered perspective. An eternal perspective. A view that says, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Romans 8:18

 Keep in mind, Paul was speaking of torture, shipwreck, rejection from his own people, and being beaten almost to death...and finally, eventually killed for the sake of the gospel - those are the light and momentary troubles he referred to later in the letter to the Corinthians. (2 Cor. 4:17 "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.)
 
Lori, thanks so much for your challenge - you always inspire me to dig deeper and take a second look in the mirror of God's Word, to never be satisfied with what I see, but to strive always to draw nearer, live truer, and grow stronger by recognizing my weakness and the only source of my strength.