When is a Christian fit or unfit to serve God?

1 Chronicles 21:1–22:19, 2 Timothy 2:14–26, Psalm 86:1–87:7

God gently reminds me of two important truths from today’s readings. The first is in the OT reading concerning David after he became the king of Israel. “Then Satan stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel.” (1 Chronicles 21:1)

This was not a normal census; David numbered his army. It could be compared to me listing my strengths, particularly when I’m trying to determine the best way to serve God. It is so easy to forget that God doesn’t need my strengths, and that He wants me to serve in weakness, relying on Him.

The NT reading has a couple verses that correspond to what David did and what he needed to do after this numbering happened. It says God’s servants are to correct their opponents, which is what Joab tried to do with David. The reason for this is that “God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.” (2 Timothy 2:25–26)

David did repent, but he learned the hard way that listening to Satan and doing what he suggests had disastrous consequences for his people. Because of David’s sin, 70,000 people in Israel died.

The second truth is even more personal. When I first became a Christian, the local church didn’t want me to become a member because I had been divorced before I was saved. At the time, I didn’t not know what ‘narrow-minded legalism’ meant.

Even when I was allowed membership, they would not allow me to serve. Their reasoning was that because of David’s sin with Bathsheba, God would not allow him to build the temple. Therefore, because of my sin of divorce, I could not help in the church. Again, at the time I thought this was the ‘rules’ of being a Christian and did not protest.

Later I learned what today’s reading reveals — the real reason David did not build the temple. He said to Solomon, “My son, I had it in my heart to build a house to the name of the Lord my God. But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have waged great wars. You shall not build a house to my name, because you have shed so much blood before me on the earth.’” (1 Chronicles 22:7–8)

In this case, a man of war may have trouble leading in peace time, but whatever God’s reason, David accepted it. However, past (and forgiven) sins cannot disallow Christians from serving God; otherwise no one could. Some pick out David as justification for making some sins worse than others, and use that to deny other sinners opportunities to do service to God. Some of them would be better informed by these thoughts....

“Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:20–21)

According to this, some may serve in a different capacity than others because of some current condition, but that condition (or sin) can be changed! If I continued to repeat a divorce/remarry pattern, or was guilty of any other sin (robbing banks, beating my children, gossiping about my neighbors, etc.) then it would make sense to tell me to sit back. Yet God is in the business of saving people from the power of sin. He can change a dishonorable person into a holy and useful person.

David was the song-writer of Israel. His prayers were put to music and sang from their psalter. Here is one of them:

“O God, insolent men have risen up against me; a band of ruthless men seeks my life, and they do not set you before them. But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant, and save the son of your maidservant. Show me a sign of your favor, that those who hate me may see and be put to shame because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.” (Psalm 86:14–17)

After my early experiences as a Christian who could not be useful to God, I realized that the temple Solomon built (instead of David) is long-gone. David was not allowed to build it, but he was allowed to write the worship songs of Israel, and those psalms remain today, still used by God to bless millions of people. 

Defining ‘second-best’

Today’s focus is “the peril of second best” yet different people have different ideas of what that is. From three passages, the author of my devotional concludes that prayer, studying and preaching the Word of God take first place. His conclusion is that everything else comes second. But does it?

The first passage cited happened very soon after the formation of the church. Both Jews and Gentiles were coming to faith. The church was taking care of their widows and some of the non-Jewish believers felt that their widows were being neglected. To solve this problem, “the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, ‘It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.’”

This pleased everyone, they choose seven men and the apostles prayed and laid their hands on them. Then the Bible says that “the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.” (Acts 6:1–7)

The devotional author attributes this growth to the apostles who choose to do what they did best. I’m sure that was important, but that growth also may have been because those godly seven men stepped up and did what they could do. If Christians only prayed and studied Scripture all day, preaching or teaching whenever possible, who would make meals and care for their families? Isn’t there more to being a Christian than those important spiritual disciplines? God does ask me to sit at His feet, but He also asks me to do other things.

A well-known example is the second passage. Jesus went to Martha’s house. She “had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.’” (Luke 10:38–42)

Those Christians whose gifts are in serving usually miss seeing that Jesus was gently rebuking Martha, but not for serving. Note that she was distracted and anxious about it. This attitude is not the first-best that Jesus gives His people.

I’ve been like Mary. Sitting at the feet of Jesus is far more interesting than making lunch, but lunch has to be made and Jesus often calls me to the kitchen. For Martha, it was not the serving that Jesus rebuked, but that Martha was serving with a sinful attitude. She may have wanted to be where Mary was, which was good, but she also resented Mary for being there. She even began giving the Lord of Lords a rebuke when all she needed was a few moments with Him to make serving others a joy and not a troublesome task.

Serving Jesus and His disciples lunch is not second-best, but serving with resentment, or doing anything without putting Jesus as the cornerstone of my heart, is. Jesus calls me to serve Him with all my heart, to do whatever I do (even eating and drinking) as unto Him, and by His grace and in His strength. If I do things for myself, half-heartedly, and in my own strength, and resent others who are not doing the hard work that I am doing . . . then I’ve stepped into the realm of second-best. Tasks done for the Lord are not graded by what the tasks are, but by the attitude in which I do them.

Paul wrote to Timothy saying, “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules . . . .” (2 Timothy 2:1–7)

Whatever I do can only be pleasing to God when they are done “as unto the Lord” – rather than for sinful reasons and motivations. Otherwise they are an entanglement. An athlete cannot be victorious if he ignores the rules of his sport just as a Christian must not ignore God’s guidance for our work.

Besides, with Jesus Christ as the cornerstone, there is no ‘secular’ work. The sovereign power of God is able to use all things to benefit and build His kingdom. Second-best happens only when I leave Him out of it.

Choices and Service

When the alarm rings in the morning, I can choose to hit snooze or choose to get up. When I get up, I can choose to eat oatmeal or choose leftover pizza. As the day progresses, hundreds of choices appear before me. Involved in all of them is also a choice of what or whom I will serve. I claim to serve God, but how often do I move through a day without thinking whether I am or not?

After Moses led the people of God through the wilderness and into the land, He promised them, Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel, summoning the elders, heads, judges and officers of Israel. As they presented themselves before God, Joshua gave them challenges from the Lord. The bottom line was this:

And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15)

While this challenge was directed toward their religious observances, it also included daily life. In other words, serving God is not only about formal ministry and worship, but also about the way His people live. Each morning when they arose, they had choices similar to mine. They had families to care for, household chores to do. Externals like the weather, and necessities like “we have to eat” might dictate some of those choices, but even when I make a meal, I can choose to do it “as unto the Lord” and with joy, or with a negative attitude.

As I read this verse, it reminds me that everyone serves someone or something. Even those who think they are their own boss are serving themselves, or their ambitions and plans, and could even be slaves to these lesser gods. How many times have I heard, “It’s my life and I’ll do what I want to” from someone bound up in sin and self-serving? We have our traditional gods and even adopt the gods of the people around us.

As for this day, the hours, minutes, even seconds ahead of me will be filling with options. As the devotional writer says, choice and service are the sum total of life. Instead of operating on autopilot and doing whatever seems the easiest or the most beneficial to me, I need to check out what I choose and that my selection is all about the amazing God that I claim to serve. 

All for my King

A few months ago, we visited an estate in North Carolina that opened to the public in the 1930s. The huge house sits on several acres with many out buildings, including a winery, stables (transformed into a restaurant), green houses and beautiful gardens. While we noticed workers, we were astonished at the size of the staff that maintain this lovely spot, everything from plumbers to tour guides, cooks to window washers. Some hold places of prominence before the touring public. Others work in the background, the only evidence of them is seen in the results of their labors.

So it is in the kingdom of God. Our Lord and Master employs some in prominence, people like Billy Graham who is known in most of the world, or others whose faces appear on television or before large congregations or conference crowds. 

But on the roster of those who serve the King are people who wash dishes after the church supper, or stack chairs, or hand out bulletins, or visit the sick, or repair torn hymnals. Few notice their work or even know their names. In an Old Testament list of the descendents of Judah, a few are also unnamed.

These were the potters who were inhabitants of Netaim and Gederah (literally “plants and hedges”). They lived there in the king’s service. (1 Chronicles 4:23)

As the devotional writer says, we can live and work for our King anywhere and everywhere. For some, this could be an unlikely or unfavorable place, maybe in the country where not much is seen of the “goings” of the King or in the inner city where “thank you” might be rarely heard. 

My King could have me serving Him among hedges and hindrances, my hands full of pottery for my daily task, but this is not important. The reality is that no matter what I am doing or where I do it, the King who placed me there dwells with me there. If plants and hedges are not right for me, or if they hinder me in any way, He would remove them. Sometimes that which blocks my work from view is a protection. 

What really matters is that it is HIS work, and each of His workers are to respect the others, knowing that what we do is for Him. Even the smallest task will advance the kingdom, and all will be rewarded for our service. No matter what He gives me to do, I’m to do it with joy and gratitude.

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17)

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:23–24)

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Lord God, as I look at my to-do list for today, I can hope or imagine how You might use some of it in Your kingdom. However, whether I can see (or ever will see) anything eternal as a result of my service, I commit today’s work to You, thankful for my place in Your kingdom and glad that I can serve You.

Where I work is not as important as how…

The first time I joined a social networking site, I accepted almost all “friend” requests and tried to read everything that was posted. It didn’t take long to be tired of the trivia about “what I ate for breakfast” and the bold self-promotion of some who had home businesses. I also began getting requests from total strangers and invitations to business networks. Then the ads… asking they be hidden gets rid of them, but all of this took too much time. 

However, I did appreciate the connections to family and a few close friends. So I deleted my old account and created one under a different email address and using a variation of my name. Today, this network is changing their format to a timeline. I’m not sure why, but since I’ve no choice in the matter, I’m considering all the options. 

One option is putting in personal information, such as where I went to school and where I have worked. As I look at these options about work, my flippant thoughts included that I am a “kept woman” that has never needed to work outside the home, and variations of “domestic engineer” and “chief cook and bottle washer.” However, what I really want to put in that line is not my work places, but my working goal. It is expressed by today’s devotional verses…

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:23–24)

The “whatever” part makes this more about attitude and motivation than actual workplaces. I could scrub bathrooms and cook meals at home, or file reports and balance ledgers at an office and still be “working heartily as for the Lord.” While this isn’t what that network has in mind, it is on my mind. 

One day, while out for a walk and praying through my list of requests and burdens, I complained about the time it takes to pray and how much work I had to do. The Lord spoke to my heart as clearly as if He had shouted. He said, “Prayer is your work.”

I still struggle with that task, but His rebuke changes the way I think about prayer. Instead of an important spiritual discipline, this is God-given work that goes beyond everything else. He is my employer, my Master. I serve Him in prayer. 

Today, I also found the following verse. It will go on my social network page in that place asking for information about my work.

I thank God whom I serve… with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. (2 Timothy 1:3)

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Lord, I am thankful, first of all to be able to serve You. No one could be a better boss. I’m also thankful that as long as I do what You ask, my conscience is clear. Guilt hinders, even destroys lives. Having forgiveness and cleansing from sin and guilt is freedom and puts a spring in my step. New life in Christ motivates me to think about others and pray for them. This is work, but it is work that blesses lives and brings eternal rewards. You also bless the workplace environment with others who pray for the same things, and bless me with joy as I do my job!