STOP THE PRESSES!
HOLD THE PHONE!
Mind repeating that again?
Look, . . I've been around church and church folks a long time - well, all my life - and I've never heard that!
What do you mean, "I wasn't born to serve God!"
Call me a "God Junkie" and it won't hurt my feelings. Hang around me very long, the conversation will eventually drift to how good He has been to me and my family through all the surgeries and tough times.
Since I was three weeks old, there have been very few times I haven't been in church when the doors are open. By my calculation, I've heard well over 200 sermons in my lifetime awake or dozing in the pew. The idea was drilled into me that service was an expected response - a debt I owed - to Jesus Christ for the gift of fire insurance from Hell and the promise of Heaven for eternity.
For a God junkie, that's a pretty great driving force. It was good enough to push me toward my higher educational studies and most of my career choices.
NOW, someone comes along and wants to pop my bubble of divine security!
Here's the clincher! Is my relationship with God one of servanthood or sonship?
The Business of Religion has long kept its membership machinery oiled, prodded, and browbeaten with the doctrine of servanthood to keep Church programs staffed and on-going. The organization sees a need, plots a program to tackle the problem, preaches sermons to justify their best ideas, appoints "the best qualified person" to head up the ministry, who in turn recruits prospects from the pew, . . then asks God to bless their endeavor to invite He's involvement and blessing.
With all the millions of dollars, and mega millions more man-hours having gone into missions and ministry projects around the world, why haven't we seen the God-blessed results promised in Scripture? Could it be our premise and use of a business model is skewed?
I want to discuss the difference between a mission and a calling at another time. Right now, I'm wressling with a paradigm shift in WHY I am, WHO I am . . . in Jesus Christ.
When I searched the words serve and service in the New Testament, I was surprised at the results. Most of these words were used to speak of living in obedinece under pre-Christ religion or it referred to relationships between other Christ-followers.
Sure, the Apostle Paul referred to himself as a servant of Jesus, as did James, Peter and Jude. However, that same Apostle Paul shifted the whole discussion to "you are no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ," in Galatians 4:7. St. John said, "as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." (1:12)
Later, John, in his letter to fellow Christ-followers would clarify, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: . . . Beloved, now are we the sons of God,
and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he
shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:1-2)
So, . . . I had to admit that I - along with the vast host of most Christ-followers - have been laboring under a Business of Religion diversion most of my life; the pressure to please God because He gave me salvation. Salvation was a free gift - I allowed it to become into a life-long obligation.
I don't have to go to church!
I don't have to serve God!
I don't have to read my Bible!
I don't have to tithe!
I don't have to pray!
If there is a single one of those religious habits come with a hint of fearing the Father's displeasure attached to them, that is the relationship of a servant to a master - not the kinship of family. As His son or daughter, His love and approval is not based upon my behavior or attitude. It is based upon the solid rock nature that He loves me, has forgiven me, and enjoys relationship with me.
WOW! With the pressure off, I get to enjoy the relationship. Service them becomes a response out of what I hear and see from His heart in our time together in prayer and reading His word.
He's not out to get me! He's already got me and I am enjoying letting Him be an extension of my head, heart, and hands.
Business of Religion - Slave or Relative (Part 2)
1 comment:
I was raised in the church and growing up I was taught that I was a Son....sonship is what it's about; yes serving is part of it, but when you realize who you are in Christ, the serving won't seem so troublesome.
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