Unworthy Servants
I was pondering today the place where Jesus said… “So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
That passage has occasionally sort of *unconsciously* bugged me. Why would He say that?? Doesn’t He “appreciate” the hard work of His servants?
He ABSOLUTELY DOES… He is Very Glad for us and happy with us and for us when we give our lives away. But…
He also knows that unless we have the attitude He mandated above, that our “good deeds” and illusions of sacrifice will rot us from the inside out. We CANNOT be our own point of reference, and we must not keep a “list” in our minds and hearts of “all the good we’ve done” lately (or all the “bad” either for that matter).
No one who has LOST their life is still keeping score. That fact that we are keeping score is a good clue that our deeds and efforts for “good” were mixed at best, instead of from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. Only when our ONLY point of reference is Jesus—pleasing Him only, making Him smile, with childlike freedom and unreluctant dependence and with Zero DESIRE for recognition or appreciation or applause from man (even from ourselves)—only then are we really free.
Only those who lose their lives will find them. Those who meter out their lives on their own schedule and “keep track” of their sacrifices are only poisoning their own canteen.
Yes… Jesus appreciates those who ABANDON their lives to Him. Very much so. But, we haven’t really “abandoned” our lives to Him if we’re still ambitious—and “itching” for our “own” credit. That’s the Deal. : )
-Nick
2/17/2007
