“Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, ‘You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.’” Mark 10:42-45
I find it interesting that Philippians, Titus, James, 2 Peter, Jude and Revelation all begin with a description of the writer as a bond-servant of God. Culturally, the concept of servitude is undesirable. We are told that independence, self-service and personal comfort should rule our perspective. Yet this is not God’s design for civilization. His intention is for the body of Christ to serve: service to Him as His bond-servants, service to each other to build up the body of believers, and service to the world to share the gospel through our actions…all orchestrated and guided by His plan. The term bond-servant has several connotations. I would like to focus on two. The first is the term slave which signifies property. Twice in 1 Corinthians we are reminded that we have been purchased. “For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” (6:20) “You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.” (7:23) These remind us that we are owned and our allegiance is to God. The other definition that is appropriate is that of voluntary servitude. While it is true that we have been bought with a price, we are not forced into service. We must choose to serve. When we do, we submit our will and our person to God, serve Him alone, and are to fulfill the tasks to which He calls us.
“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.” (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17) While it is true that we are bought with a price, the price was a personal sacrifice of God for our benefit rather than a business transaction to acquire an asset. God the Father sacrificed His only Son. Christ willingly laid down His life for us. That transaction colors the nature of the relationship with our Master. We do not serve a selfish, difficult, or egotistical master, but rather One who has sacrificed for us, loves us and invites us to enjoy Him in both this life and the next. It is in the context of that relationship that we choose to serve willingly and become His bond-servant. It is the loving relationship with our God that requires us to do whatever He asks of us. Further, He does not ask us to do it alone, but rather promises to do it with us, sustaining, leading, guiding and directing us. Consequently when God directs us or asks: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?”, our response must always be like Isaiah’s enthusiastic “Here am I. Send me!”.
“But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer.” (2 Corinthians 1:6) When I was in high school we lived in a rural area. At the time, litigation was less prevalent and teens were more readily expected to be able to handle more adult responsibilities. In that environment, I was an orderly at the local hospital along with a few of my classmates. My duties included the usual bathing, feeding, emptying bedpans and urinals as well as surgery preps, post-surgery care, and putting catheters in male patients. These were all very personal forms of care that could create awkward and difficult situations and were initially uncomfortable…so uncomfortable that I was asked to leave the room of my first accident victim only to return a few minutes later and work a double shift to care for him till morning. However, over time, they became the normal course of things. It was through those experiences that I developed a work ethic and learned what it truly meant to care for another human being while maintaining respect for them. Certainly God will call us to service in ways that are beyond our comfort zone, that require us to look beyond ourselves and dig deeply in order to complete because they will teach us to rely on His wisdom and strength rather than our own. After a while we may find that what was once unthinkable has become “normal” in our service to God only to have Him ask us to do something different which will grow us even more. It is overcoming the unthinkable that draws us closer to God as we learn to trust and rely on Him to do what He asks of us.
“We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” (1 Thessalonians 5:14) In our service, we are not alone. First and foremost our God is always near ready willing to equip us for every endeavor to which He calls us. He has provided His word which is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness”; it is our field manual. And finally, He has provided the body of Christ to encourage, admonish and help. Those years as an orderly would have been much more difficult without a few good people to guide me. I was trained well by two wonderful, stern German ladies for whom I had the utmost respect. They taught me well, but continued to correct, encourage and help me along the way. The Administrator of Nursing was a very even tempered and kind woman who watched over us and looked out for us. Further, I had my mother who was on the surgical nurse working on the same wing to do the same. She saw all my preps. She observed how I interacted with patients as they went to and came from surgery. She taught me my work ethic as well as a profound respect for patients. And finally there was my father. As a pastor, he took part in the regular rotation as chaplain for the hospital. He would meet with my patients and was regularly informed of the quality of my work. While it seemed very ordinary at the time, I look back and see how God provided the resources for me to succeed in that temporary calling. He does the same regularly for us in all that He asks us to do. We just need to listen and make sure that we stay connected to our Lord and to the body of Christ in whatever ways we are able.
“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” (Colossians 3:17) Here we are called to serve with excellence giving thanks for the opportunity to serve. Further, we should never compare our roles or tasks to those of another. As part of the body of Christ, we are all important as are all of our tasks. Society or human opinion may rank assignments differently, but that is not God’s view. Laying on your death bed ministering to a handful is as important as leading a great congregation. Reaching out through the internet to other believers who are more or less confined to their homes is as great a calling as being a missionary. Living a godly life before the world is as important as verbal evangelism. We don’t know how God will use what He asks of us. We may not know this side of Heaven what impact we have had or what the purpose was, but God does and that is the point. In our humble, obedient service, we honor God and for us, that is the primary consideration.
After many years as a CPA, I would recall that being an orderly was the most rewarding work that I ever did and began studying to become an RN until God used my health to end that plan as well as my accounting career. It was a difficult change but a rewarding one that after many years, still requires, at times, effort to accept. However I am learning to trust my master and be grateful for the opportunities to serve Him.
Sadly, our culture is more self-motivated and those with a heart to serve are harder to find. They are there, but fewer as a percentage. Many want to reap the benefits of Christianity, but can’t accept the concept of sacrificing or suffering for our Lord. What about you? Join those who choose to be bond-servants of our Lord. When you don’t understand: your circumstances, why you are asked to fulfill a role with which you are uncomfortable, or the value of your calling, remember it is a loving God that is your master, trust that He will equip you to rise to the occasion, recall that He and the body of Christ are there to support and encourage you, and give thanks for every opportunity no matter how large or small. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)