This past Sunday, I spoke on a truth the Holy Spirit revealed to me that though I sort of already knew was true, yet I never quite saw it in the light the Holy Spirit revealed to me. As I was preparing to write my monthly blog for our church web-site I felt the Holy Spirit lead me to write about it in my blog for February.

I constantly find myself, as well as many other believers, struggling with trying to focus on what our new position as Christians is. We joyfully agree, and rightly so, with what Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if anyone is in Christ Jesus he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come.” We also joyfully agree, and rightly so, with what Paul also says in Galatians 4:7 “So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has also made you an heir.” Most of us can totally relate to Gideon’s failure to recognize what the Lord said of who Gideon was, which is also true of you and me, in Judges 6:12 “When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, He said, The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” We really struggle with Paul’s words, yet they are also true, in Romans 1:7 “To all (followers of Jesus) in Rome (Las Vegas or anywhere else) who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” The list of all the wonderful attributes or characteristics of who we now in the Lord goes on and on but there is one characteristic I fail to see many Christians trying to focus on or adapt to who they are and that characteristic or position is being a servant.

In the world that we live in, having a good job title and description is seen as being very valuable. We tend to evaluate or view one another in the work place or the world we live in, or place our definition of how successful we have become, by the position we have attained.

When Saul, later to be called Paul, was on his way to Damascus to obtain letters from the high priest that would commission Saul to take back as prisoners to Jerusalem anyone he found who belonged to the ‘Way’, followers of Jesus Christ, the Lord appeared to Saul in a bright light, which caused Saul blinded. Saul was led into Damascus where he did not eat or drink anything for 3 days. While Saul was in Damascus, the Lord also appeared to Ananias, one of His disciples. The Lord told Ananias to go and lay hands on Saul so his sight would be restored, for while Saul was in prayer, he had seen a vision of all this taking place. Ananias was understandably concerned about doing this as Saul had been breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. The Lord answered Ananias’s concerns by saying in Acts 9:15 “Go! This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name to before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.”

‘My chosen instrument’: wow what a job title to have,  right. I don’t know about you but I think it would have been very hard for me to not brag to anyone that crossed my path about this new position I had received from the Lord Himself. If anyone tried to disagree with anything I  said, I think I would have said: “Do you know who you are talking to right now? I am God’s chosen instrument!!”

So often I have sadly seen arguments take place in the church body about how important or how essential our position or title is. In fact I think I may have sadly possibly caused those arguments at times. Paul could have easily been a bit proud, or possibly tried to assert how great or important he was to anyone he came across.

While on their way to Capernaum, Jesus overheard His disciples arguing amongst themselves about which one of them was the greatest. When they arrived at Capernaum, Jesus called His disciples together and settled their argument once and for all with one sentence. Jesus told them in Luke 9:35 “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and servant of all.” Paul, the Lord’s chosen instrument, said it best in Romans 1:1 “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God.” Paul viewed being called a servant of Christ Jesus of more importance, that he listed that above being called an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God.

I pray my friend that you are truly serving in the church you attend, for your pastor needs your help; not your constant complaining.  Let me close with this quote I came across: “There are many openings in the Kingdom of God, but there can only be one job title and only one job description. Our Heavenly Father has called and offered a permanent promotion which far surpasses anything this world could ever offer. Let’s put aside our ‘need’ to be in charge. Let’s humbly bow and proudly accept the promotion to Servant.”