The Secret to Contentment Part 2-Born to Serve

Last week’s message focused on the secret to true contentment being trust in Jesus Christ who saves us, obedience to His commands because we love Him, and making His Kingdom the overriding passion in our lives.

However, the question may arise: How exactly does one make Jesus’ Kingdom your passion? This week’s message seeks to explore this question. (Matt 6:19-34)

Making Jesus’ Kingdom your passion involves making His mission the priority and central focus of your existence. We are to seek the lost and erring in the same way that the Saviour sought them i.e. with a heart of compassion. The fulfillment of the Great Commission should override your desire for wealth, prestige or status in this world. Let God take care of you, as you focus on serving Him  by taking care of those He loves and gave His life for. (Matt 28:19-20)

There is no career more rewarding than that of being a minister of Christ. It is indeed the highest privilege and calling. Most of us spend at least eight hours at our places of work, but this is no excuse to leave God’s calling on your life unfulfilled. Your place of work is your mission field – don’t wait until you retire to labour for the Master; rather do it now in the days of your youth and vigour when you can offer Him the best years of your life in humble service for His Kingdom. In ministering to the needs of others by tending to their spiritual, emotional and physical needs, you will gain an audience for your promotion of the Gospel of our Lord. The days spent at your work place where you used to complain and experience monotony will be revitalized as you gain new purpose in working for the Master. In His employ, you will find peace and contentment as never before! (1 Tim 4:12; 6:6-12, Lam 3:27, Jer 22:21)

God created us in His image and likeness. When Jesus walked this earth, He revealed His character to be that of a servant leader. Therefore this means that we were created for service! When Simon Peter’s mother-in-law was healed by Jesus, the first thing she did was to arise and wait on the Lord. In the same manner, Christ has brought us into His Kingdom to serve others and to worship Him. In doing so, we will find rest for our souls, for we will then have exchanged our burdens for His yoke of service which is “easy and light”. (Matt 8:14-15; 11:28-30, John 13)

This quiet contentment is evidenced in the life of Paul the Apostle, when as he languished in a damp prison cell, all he asked for was his coat, books and parchments.The degree of contentment you experience is directly proportional to the amount of “dying to self” that you do. Contentment stems from having a meaningful purpose –Jesus is our reason for living. He is our purpose, His mission and passion, ours too!

A "Parable" on Law and Grace

The Apostle Paul wrote eloquently in the book of Romans on the theme of Law and Grace, and I think we are all enjoying studying this topic immensely. However, many still find it difficult to understand despite their best efforts and intentions.

I have often found that analogies, hypothetical examples and practical experience are the best ways to understand abstract concepts. Our Lord often spoke in parables, using the simple everyday things of this Earth to illustrate certain aspects or Kingdom principles. And so, here goes my attempt at trying to make this a bit easier to understand. (Rom 6-7, Jude 1:4, Heb 12:4)

The Law of God is like a trapeze artist who has the task of walking a tightrope, a difficult if not impossible task for most of us! Just like the Law is difficult to keep in our own strength, so it is with the trapeze artist who has not put in hours of dedicated practice – raw talent can only take you so far; the rest is dependent on the amount of effort you put in. In the same manner, keeping the Law without the aid of the Holy Spirit working within the recesses of our heart, is an impossible feat for the best of men. We often fall!

Just as the trapeze artist cannot afford to look to the right or the left, so we are encouraged to “meditate on His Law day and night,” for then we will have good success. We cannot afford to cruise through life unintentionally, without thinking of doing our best to keep God’s Royal Law in the strength of His Spirit and with the “mind of Christ.” (1 Cor 2:16, Jos 1:8)

How does grace fit in with the Law? Well, the trapeze artist feels a lot safer while swinging across the heights or walking the tightrope because she knows that if she falls, there is a net beneath that is strong enough to catch her. Secure in this knowledge, she is able to test the limits of her endurance. She hopes she will never need to use the safety net, but she is thankful that it is there when she does fall. In fact, the safety net gives her the mental stability and comfort she needs to soar higher and more gracefully than ever! So it is with us. The “safety net” of God’s Grace is not meant to be spurned or taken lightly. We should not spend most of our time there, but rather we should live in greater consecration and sanctification because we have experienced what it is like to fall and be caught by God’s Grace. Sin should never abound because Grace abounds! We should never give up the battle against sin because we have misinterpreted Grace to be a “comfort zone.”

God’s grace is meant to lead to greater obedience to His Law, because we love Him and desire to please Him. Love springs to obedience, which then springs to greater love! We can do nothing in and of ourselves; it’s faith in the righteousness of Christ that saves us, but on the same token this does not give us license to be indifferent and complacent regarding asking God for victory over our weaknesses and sins and living out our lives as a testimony of His Grace which enables us to soar!

You have not yet “resisted unto blood.” Christ did that for you; don’t take that lightly!

Scripture refs: Romans ch6-ch7, Jude 1:4, Heb 12:4, 1 Cor 2:16

What kind of brother are you?

The story in Luke 15 tells of a young man who demanded his inheritance so he could start a life of his own. After much deliberation, his father is forced to accede to his request as his son refuses to see the error of his ways. The son squanders his inheritance on riotous living, and soon is left empty - handed. Friends desert him as his inheritance dwindles. Eventually he is alone, left to fend for himself in an unfamiliar and hostile world. He possesses little skill or wisdom as he refused to use the time spent with his father to learn a trade or help in the family business. As a young Jewish lad he eventually finds himself hired as a keeper of swine, a job that in his culture would have been viewed as unclean and despicable.

Eventually he comes to his senses and returns home, planning to beg the forgiveness of God and his father and to secure a place among his dad’s hired labourers, as he is no longer worthy to be called his son. The magnitude of his sin weighs heavily on him as he walks the dusty road to his village. Suddenly from afar, he sees a figure running toward him, robes flapping ridiculously. He immediately recognizes his father, arms outstretched and looking less than dignified as he dashes toward his son to embrace him, kissing him on the neck. With tears in his eyes, he commands that the best robe be put on his son, sandals on his feet and the signet ring of authority on his right hand thus restoring him to the position of honour he once held as his son.

Meanwhile the older son who had remained with the father came in from the fields after a hard day’s labour and was less than impressed with the reason for the great celebration the father had arranged. After his brother had left home, he had to carry the workload of two men and he had no time for fun or celebration. He reasoned that he was better than his brother. After all he had sacrificed much to remain with his father. He felt unappreciated, and his grudging obedience to the father was taking its toll on him.

As part of the church of Christ, what kind of brother are you? Are you happy when your brother in the Lord comes home, sinful though he may be? Remember, you have sinned too. Take the example of Jesus to heart. As our elder brother, He chose to leave the glories of Heaven to risk all to save us. Now that we are safely home, he commands us to do the same. We are to go into the world, looking for straying children of our Father for He longs to welcome them home.

Scripture references: Luke 15:10-32