No Thanks Necessary

Those of us living in some kind of lala land of spirituality need to wake up to the Kingdom's reality. For sure, Jesus is compassionate, tender, loving, merciful andforgiving to those who are broken and need restoration. But we cannot ignore that those of us who are saved are in a different category. We are the mature. Much has been given to us and much is expected. I think we need a  more realistic look at the demands of servanthood.

Yes, we are the children of Yahweh, of the royal line, princes and princesses, but we are here as servants. As Jesus set aside his divinity to complete what needed to be done in service to Father, we too are told to set aside our rights and privileges, to serve Jesus and this lost world. But instead of humbling ourselves and serving in the power and authority of our King, we walk around like useless, pampered, snobs who don't have a clue about our responsibilities. I have a verse I would like you to chew on.

In Luke 17 Jesus tells a simple parable about a lord and his servant. He asks the crowd to consider what their expectations would be if they had a servant. After the servant came in from the outdoor work and waited on his lord during the meal, would they thank the servant or is he only doing what falls within his duties? Jesus told us that our attitude in service to him should be a humble one:

So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’ (Luke 17:10)

Read it again. Those are the words of Jesus. Some people may find it surprising that he spoke them. It doesn't seem like the same man who played with the children and was moved by compassion for the suffering masses. But this is the Lord who called us to him in love and who tells us the real love is shown in our obedience to his instructions. We are not children. We are not suffering masses. We are the victorious in the Lord. We are the workers of the Kingdom. We are his servants in this world.

Sometimes we seem to have the attitude that we are doing Jesus a favour by being kind to people. If we examine our actions closely we will notice that most of the people we are kind to make us feel good. But Jesus told us to go beyond kindness to those who love us, to show love to those who hate us. Even then we shouldn't feel we have done anything special but only what is our duty. We have a duty of love, an obligation to those who are loved by Jesus, who are the lost of this world. We should do everything possible to show ourselves faithful in our responsibilities.

Not exactly how most of us are living these days. It is as if we expect a heroes' parade for every little act of kindness we manage. In fact, most people think they are heroes whenever they find time to read their Bible. Reading doesn't even count unless we put it into practice. How crazy we have gotten in lowering Yahweh's standards so we can make the least effort look good. I blame people like me, the teachers. We have been afraid of losing people and so we have not held people to any great expectations but we should at least be pointing out that Jesus has expectations of us. It's never too late though. We can change our attitude and step back into the shoes of a faithful servant who considers it all the thanks he needs just to serve the King.

Counting My Complaints

What are you thankful for this morning?

I actually have to stop to think about that. Strange, because I can easily list my complaints. I have already spent a good part of my morning complaining to people about one thing or another, and most people would never consider me a complainer. That's how common it is. Complaining is just a natural part of our day.

But should it be?

Yes, there are all kinds of things that go wrong every day. We live with the reality that we are in a fallen and imperfect world. We live in a system that is in rebellion to God on top of the small every day imperfections. So we have a whole slue of things we can legitimately complain about. But just because it is legitimate does not mean that it is conducive for a heart that is one with Jesus.

I look at where my heart is right at this moment and I can feel that I have allowed my "legitimate" complaints to disturb my peace. And to what end? What has my complaining accomplished? Has it made me or anyone else feel better? Has it changed the situation or circumstances? Not at all.

Although our God will listen to our complaints, as he did with the psalmists, he is really looking for his children to maintain a thankful heart. I shouldn't have to work at it. With all the great stuff that our Father does for us, thanksgiving should be an ever flowing stream from our mouths. It should be a natural product of an ever increasing relationship with Jesus but we have to be aware of the need for it. We need to cultivate it until it takes root in us. It is the Spirit transforming us. Paul wrote to the Colossians:

Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to live together in peace. So let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts. And be grateful. (Colossians 3:15)

I like the the word "let" in this verse. Let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts. We have to give it permission, to allow it to control. This is fundamental if we desire to live life with a grateful heart. The things that rob us of our thanksgiving are usually things that are beyond our control and belong to someone else. We have to overlook those things to let the peace control our thoughts and to be thankful.

It's true. When I examine each subject of my complaints this morning I see that it was the result of someone else's actions. Each thing was either out of my control or something I was not brave enough to deal with directly. So I need to accept what I cannot control and take action on what I can deal with, all the time allowing Jesus' peace to control my thoughts.

Suddenly those things don't seem so important. Suddenly I remember who holds my day. Suddenly I begin to remember all the good things for which I am thankful. It's a much better way to start my day, praising my God from the overflow of my thankful heart.