Serving for the Joy?

Jake loves what he does for the Lord. He is skilled, faithful, and humble about his place of service. A few years ago the Lord impressed on him that he was to be # 2 on the team, not because he was less, inferior, or without qualification. It was just the will of God. He accepted that obediently and I have watched him function in that role. He's willing to take on grunt work, do what isn't glamorous, and put in sweat time without thanks or recognition. I'm fairly certain that if asked, he'd even step aside from his place without bitterness or rancor. He serves the Lord for the pure joy of serving and it shows. He doesn't ask for thanks, doesn't seek glory, and seldom complains.

Recently I was chatting with another woman about her long-time 'service' in the various churches she has attended over the years. She complained about how one church after another failed to recognize her abilities, about Pastors who didn't give her the place she thought her talents deserved, etc., etc! Now, I know she loves the Lord. She's been a Believer longer than I've been alive, but she is missing the point of ministry. Ministry is never about 'me,' never about what service does for 'me.' True service in God's work is about Him, about His church, about giving away ourselves without a care or thought of cost, recognition, or reward. The tragedy about this dear soul is that her ministries are unconsciously shaped around gaining affirmation, making her feel valued, about 'being somebody' in the big wide world. As a consequence, what she does for the Lord is tainted. It always has a tinge of pride which eventually corrupts the service and makes it less than it might otherwise be.

There is a story in the book of Acts that helps us to understand the importance of forgetting about "me" so we can serve Christ in the most effective ways. It is about a man that the Church nick-named, Barnabas. This man was a learned Christ-following Jew who was very influential in the early years of the development of Christianity. The Bible describes him with these glowing words... "a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. " (Acts 11:24, NLT) This leader heard about a man named Saul who once had been very hostile to Christians, that he had been converted but was finding it hard to find acceptance by Believers who were still frightened by his reputation. So, Barnabas went and found Saul (later renamed Paul) and introduced him to the Church. For the next few years, when people spoke of the team, it was always "Barnabas and Paul." But, the mentor was soon eclipsed by the gifts of his student. People came to refer to "Paul and Barnabas." A few years later, Barnabas slipped into obscurity and Paul went on to be known throughout the Church!

What might Christianity be like today if Barnabas had gone to see Paul and recognized the man's greater gifts and tremendous abilities, only to feel threatened?
What if he saw Paul's potential to become greater and decided that he didn't want the 'competition?'
Thankfully, good ole' Barney didn't see his 'service' to the Church as a means of building his reputation, feeling good about himself, or gaining a place where he could be recognized in this world.

Let me leave you with this challenging parable that Jesus told about service. Think deeply about it.
If you realize that your service has even a grain of pride, of self-serving, of concern for reputation or reward, ask the Lord for forgiveness and for the Spirit's help in developing true humility.

"Suppose one of you has a servant who comes in from plowing the field or tending the sheep. Would you take his coat, set the table, and say, ‘Sit down and eat’? Wouldn’t you be more likely to say, ‘Prepare dinner; change your clothes and wait table for me until I’ve finished my coffee; then go to the kitchen and have your supper’? Does the servant get special thanks for doing what’s expected of him? It’s the same with you.
When you’ve done everything expected of you, be matter-of-fact and say, ‘The work is done. What we were told to do, we did.’ ” (Luke 17:7-10, The Message)