Behind The "Wheel"

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As followers of Jesus we often refer to ourselves as being servants of the Lord, or as serving Him. We ask other believers about what they are doing in their local churches or in para-church organizations, considering that such activity is service for the Lord. We talk about pastors and missionaries serving the Lord.

Sometimes, depending on how long and/or impressive the list, we begin to believe that we must be pretty important in the grand scheme of kingdom-building. Or, on the flip side, we are forced to deal with feelings of envy when others seem to be serving the Lord in better,  bigger, or much appreciated ways than we are.

Don't get me wrong, serving the Lord is a fundamental theme in Scripture. In fact, everything in life becomes service when we are reminded of Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 10:31 as he writes: "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." Our service lends the practical evidence to our claims to be followers of Jesus and is a means of attracting others to do the same.

But just in case it should occur to us to think of ourselves as God's indispensable right hand, Paul puts us in our place with this pithy statement made to the Athenians: "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else." (Acts 17:24, 25)

He doesn't need our cathedrals, or even us!

Jesus Himself added a nail to this particular ambition-driven coffin of ours by saying, "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.'" (Luke 17:10)

I remember sharing this last verse with a woman I was then doing Bible study with. She was quite incensed by it because she had grown quite proud of her prominent position as a "servant" in the church. She didn't like the thought of being "unworthy" no matter how much she did, or how visible her service was.

God doesn't need us. But He chooses to let us "help" even though that "help" is often less than helpful. He wants us, has instructed us, to serve Him and to be part of His mission in the world. Obedience, and the service that results from it, is part of our learning curve in life. But we must never forget who the learner is.

The well-known illustration of the little boy driving with his dad (probably illegal in most parts of the world) comes to mind. He is sitting on his daddy's knee and has his hands on the steering wheel. His legs are not long enough to reach the gas pedal or the brake pedal. His dad has his big hands covering his son's small ones.

"Look, Daddy, I'm driving!" the son exclaims.

Thus speaks immaturity.

Maturity understands that "Dad" is doing the steering, the stopping, the speeding up, and the getting to where he wants to go.

And we ought to be soooooo happy that He is doing just that.