My pastor said something the other day that stuck in my subconscious...I suspect because I really needed to hear it.
Speaking of Christ's command to live a life of service, he said that a Christian is called to "be a servant, not act like one". There is a difference. I know, because sometimes I act like one, but rarely am I, in fact, a servant.
Yet selfless service should be the foremost hallmark of the Christian. Witness the multiple times the Bible says to lay down our lives, to die to ourselves, to consider ourselves as servants, just as Christ did; all of which leave me in no doubt of what God wants of me.
Yet, even knowing full well what I ought to do, I find that being a servant is easily the hardest thing I've ever had to work at (no pun intended!). My old sin nature fights back so stubbornly, you'd think he was alive instead of crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6).
The root of selfishness runs deep.
At best, I go through the actions, pretending I'm serving when I'm really just playing a part--and begrudging every miserable minute of it.
And I hate that part of me!--yet it seems as fast as I beat the old self down, he finds a new stranglehold on my soul. I feel like Hercules fighting the Hydra.
Thank goodness I don't have to fight alone! Part of walking in the spirit is the daily practice of riding rough-shod over the old desires, and pursuing the new--all through the grace of God (Romans 6:11-14). Without God's grace, I'm defeated before I begin.
But I know that the old self will, at the last, be overcome. Because God has "predestined [me] to become conformed to the image of His Son". And His Son is and was the greatest Servant of all.
Santification is a long and labored process...but the result is assured! With such a foreknowledge of victory, I refuse to become weary in doing good...the harvest I'm promised far outweighs the trouble of pulling the weeds!
Speaking of Christ's command to live a life of service, he said that a Christian is called to "be a servant, not act like one". There is a difference. I know, because sometimes I act like one, but rarely am I, in fact, a servant.
Yet selfless service should be the foremost hallmark of the Christian. Witness the multiple times the Bible says to lay down our lives, to die to ourselves, to consider ourselves as servants, just as Christ did; all of which leave me in no doubt of what God wants of me.
Yet, even knowing full well what I ought to do, I find that being a servant is easily the hardest thing I've ever had to work at (no pun intended!). My old sin nature fights back so stubbornly, you'd think he was alive instead of crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6).
The root of selfishness runs deep.
At best, I go through the actions, pretending I'm serving when I'm really just playing a part--and begrudging every miserable minute of it.
And I hate that part of me!--yet it seems as fast as I beat the old self down, he finds a new stranglehold on my soul. I feel like Hercules fighting the Hydra.
Thank goodness I don't have to fight alone! Part of walking in the spirit is the daily practice of riding rough-shod over the old desires, and pursuing the new--all through the grace of God (Romans 6:11-14). Without God's grace, I'm defeated before I begin.
But I know that the old self will, at the last, be overcome. Because God has "predestined [me] to become conformed to the image of His Son". And His Son is and was the greatest Servant of all.
Santification is a long and labored process...but the result is assured! With such a foreknowledge of victory, I refuse to become weary in doing good...the harvest I'm promised far outweighs the trouble of pulling the weeds!
2 Comments:
As I'm sure you've heard, they say that courage means doing what you're afraid to do. Being brave even when you're scared to death. While it's certainly true that the heart attitude matters (as evidenced, for instance, by Jesus talking about how you're guilty of adultery if you so much as lust in your heart), isn't it possible that to a certain extent that which is true of courage might also be true of servanthood? Is it possible that being a real servant might mean serving people even when you don't want to?
Well, I think in some respect you're ALWAYS serving when you don't want to...the sin nature sure doesn't want to. But I think that going through the actions with a rotten attitude, if it's worth ANYTHING (which I doubt), is at least a very poor substitute for having a servant's heart.
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