03.Sep.2009 Servanthood and sacrifice go hand in hand.
2 Corinthians 11:23-28:
“Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm. Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches.”
This passage comes in as Paul is getting accused of being a false prophet of God. He is basically ranting, saying that he is a lot more qualified for the job than anyone else. Because he has sacrificed more, he is better suited for a tough job such as planting churches and rising people up to do the same. Because the people who are accusing him have not been through all of the struggles that Paul has, such as being beaten and jailed numerous times, it is harder for them to understand what it really takes to build God’s kingdom. Even though we are not persecuted quite so harshly in America, it still takes hard work and sacrifice. Paul very well could have chosen to live a nice, quiet life and settle down with a nice woman, but he chose to build God’s house instead.
Servanthood and sacrifice go hand in hand. In order to serve someone, there is always a certain amount of sacrifice in it. Think about restaurants. The workers there sacrifice their time and don’t get paid very well, just so we can have some time to sit and have a meal together without having to worry about what everyone is eating or having to cook or clean up after ourselves.
We cannot separate hard work from sacrifice. The first thing Paul mentions is that he has worked harder than his accusers. Serving takes hard work, and so does sacrifice. We live on the sacrifices of those who came before us. As Americans, we live on the sacrifices of those who, throughout the years, have selflessly given up their own lives so that we may live in freedom. As Christians, we live on the sacrifices the Paul and Peter gave to grow the church, and, more importantly, we live on the sacrifice that Jesus Christ gave—His life—so we would be able to choose to live with Him in heaven, with Him forever. If Jesus can do that, what can we do for His kingdom and those who will come after us?
You do not have to do a lot to shine, but it costs something. Everything we do is a seed invested into the soil of our own lives. By serving, you are creating in your future those who serve you. By being selfish and not giving anything, you are creating in your future a lonely life where you have to do everything, which is not living with God. James 2:17 states that “Faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.”(NLT) Serving is a part of God’s world. It is part of who He is. By serving, we become more like who were are meant to be, which is as much like Christ as we can be.
