By: Alexander R. Rico
Bible Verse: “When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘come eat with me’? No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.'” (Luke 17:7-10 NLT)
Hanging out at home my mom called me to do my chores. One of these chores included doing the dishes. I disliked washing them, or putting them up for that matter. The stack was always piled high, and I typically moaned my way through them; so, upset I walked into the kitchen, and started to do, what I was expected to. I cleaned them, and gently placed them in a dish rack beside the sink. My mom came back, and I stood there so proud of the work I had completed; then, she turned away, and walked back to the bedroom. My mouth dropped, and I instantly felt so unappreciated. However, when I later confronted her about it she simply replied, “why should you be thanked for something you were supposed to do in the first place?”
I think many times we as believers can get like this. We get so wrapped up in saying, “Hey God, look at what I did!” that many times we are unable to remember that this is why God had created us. Christ in this illustration given in Luke 17 shows us that we as believers should not be so boastful on the things we are expected to do, the things God commands us to. No, instead Christ tells us we should say, “We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.” (Luke 17:10 NLT)
It’s never going to happen that you as a believer would do something without Christ knowing first about it, and in fact instructing you to do it. Paul tells us in the book of Ephesians 1:11, “Furthermore, because we are united in Christ, we have received an inheritance from God* we have become God’s inheritance, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.”
Did you see that? God already has everything planned out for our lives as believers. Where we are to go, what we are to do, and how we are to do it. Not so that we can claim it as our own work.
God gave every word I speak; everything I think about doing for him, he gave me.
I am simply a servant for Christ, a worker for his kingdom, not my own selfish ambitions. Our deeds the bible tells us are like dirty rags. In other words, they can be masked by the intent of our heart. I could easily say, “I want to do this for God”, but just as fast turn around and say, “I did it, I did it all!” Taking all the deserved credit away from God, and placing it on myself.
We need to understand the importance of stepping back, and simply doing something not because it glorifies us, but that it glorifies God. Scripture tells us “God opposes the proud, but favors the humble.” (James 4:6) Check your intent before doing something, and understand that when you do it, let yourself fade into the backdrop, and allow Christ to be your main focal point.
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