Today’s thoughts bring us halfway home in the 10 marks of a faithful life.
While admitting that this list is not exhaustive, and that much more could be and should be added, I am limiting my thoughts to this particular passage. If you do not adopt and develop today’s mark in your life, then the potential for your becoming faithful is lost forever. Today’s point is huge in a world full of self-servers, self-promoters and self-centrists. Get this one down, friends.
SERVANTHOOD
“For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed— God is witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. 7 But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children.” 1 Thessalonians 2:5-7
Frequently in Paul’s life and ministry he found himself accused of being a false apostle who was engaged in God’s work for less than pure motives. He reluctantly had to defend his apostleship from time to time against those who lived to discredit him. Paul was more than wise in understanding his role as a bondslave to Jesus Christ and his testimony was untouchable in the end. I’m currently leading Meadow through the backend of the expositional series from Luke’s Gospel which we began six months ago. On these precious pages of Scripture we see the Savior constantly functioning as the servant and clearly revealing to those who follow Him that they are also called to live lives of sacrificial service. Jesus isn’t delegating us glory, glamor or glitz…He’s placing some grit in our guts. Christian ministry is hard, relentless work which rarely produces easy results. All of the elements of earthly living fight against your life and work for God. We love the fruit but are not as easily fond of the labor. We prefer microwaved results which pop out in a short time and are neatly packaged for our delighted personal consumption. We don’t mind getting our hands dirty as long as it doesn’t mess up our manicured nails. See the face of Jesus, compassionate yet uncompromising, as He says to you once again, “Get back in that field and work for Me. Can’t you see the sun is setting?”
Note some important things about servanthood that Paul highlighted in the verses we are considering today:
- He did not seek to manipulate people with his words – “For we never came with words of flattery…”
- He did not seek to gain personal advantage from his work – “…nor with a pretext for greed.”
- He wanted no applause or recognition for his labor – “Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others…”
- He did not leverage his position of leadership – “…though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ.”
- He chose a soft approach rather than domination – “But we were gentle among you…”
- He prioritized the needs of those to whom he ministered for their good – “…like a nursing mother taking care of her own children.”
It matters not if you are a missionary, a mom, a mechanic or a musician…you, above all things, are a bondslave to the King. Everything you do is unto Him. You rise in Christ. You sleep in Christ. You function in your family as unto the Lord. You eat, drink, play and serve with His throne before your eyes. Some might protest that this is too radical of a thought. Was the Cross not radical? The incarnation was radical. The resurrection was radical. Justification of dead sinners is unspeakably radical! Why should we then anticipate a lukewarm, milquetoast, vanilla expectation of God upon our salvaged souls? My friends, the Christian life was meant to be explosively distinct from a life without Christ. Crucify your desire for comfort and inertia. Pound some nine-inch nails into that voice in your heart that feels entitled for ease and reward. Spend your life passionately and purposefully for the glory of God in the service of others. Break a sweat, sacrifice some hours, expect no applause and no echo of renown. The servant doesn’t wait for recognition or reward before moving on to his next task. The more minimized the visible results on earth the more glistening your reward is in Heaven. God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love as you have served others and continue to do so (Hebrews 6:10). As I’ve said recently, if your life is truly a vapor then make the most of your mist.
To the faithful servant growing weary and to the lazy saint growing mildewed: get in the field and stay there. He looks for us there. His eye does not linger over flowery beds of ease or cushioned couches of repose. When His eyes scan earth for His own they fall first on the fields of harvest where He last sent us. We must be gladly engaged there when He comes again. Servanthood…have you received your call?
A.W.Tozer:”GREATNESS IN GOD’S KINGDOM IS MEASURED BY HUMILITY, EVIDENCED BY SERVANTHOOD.”