The Heart of a Servant:
Serving God the Christ’s Way - in Spirit and Truth.
The proliferation and growth of independent ministries and churches over several decades has brought into focus an array of ministers, founders, and “men of God” in countries around the world. The work of ministry has become one of the most lucrative business ventures in today’s world. Ordinarily, the phrase “man of God“ or “servant of God” commands a measure of respectability in society, hence the title “Reverend” - not in the Bible - is conferred on a class of clerics in some denominational churches as a badge of honor. Today, these and other titles associated with the church have become a status symbol and an easy path to material wealth. Little wonder, about the popularity of motivational speakers and prosperity gospel messaging.
Quite the opposite is the example of men of God in the Bible - Old Testament priests and prophets, and New Testament disciples and apostles of Jesus Christ. While in the Old Testament, there were very wealthy kings like Kings David and Solomon, who used their kingly position to exploit the poor masses, none of the Prophets is known to come close to living large and in opulence. They, without exception, suffered persecution from the power-that-be. What’s more, Jesus, the Founder and Head of the Church, did not send His apostles to go and conquer the world and build empires for themselves. Yet, our modern-day apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors major in acquiring worldly treasures, and bragging about their exploits.
The Book of Job gives us an insight into what it meant to be wealthy in the ancient world. Job Chapter 1 opens with the introduction of the richest man among all the people of the East:
“In the land of Uz, there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. He had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East” (Job 1: 1-3).
Job proves to us, believers in Christ, that given the right environment, we can engage in honest business ventures and prosper. Faith, righteous living, and wealth are not mutually exclusive.
One is stunned by the biblical account of the calamity that befell Job, a man described as blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil. However, it becomes resonant with believers when taken against a behind-the-scenes (cosmic) battle for souls (Job 1: 6-12, 20-22).
One of Job’s lessons for us is that we can succeed and prosper in whatever we do without compromising our Christian principles.
The question is, Who is a faithful servant of God? What does it mean to serve God? How do we serve God for Who He is? Is my service a response to God’s goodness, loving kindness, grace, compassion, and providence? Or am I in the business of “serving God” for what I can get - self-serving, egoistical, greedy?
Other world religions may provide the platform for self-directed ritual performance, but not Christianity.
Let’s get it right:
Christianity is about God and His kingdom, and the kingdom of God is not about food and drink, but peace and joy in the Holy Spirit - reflected in godliness and contentment. Is that your experience? Are you joyful? What are you passionate about?
Jesus is our model. He exemplifies love, grace, sacrifice, and service.
Christianity is a way of life patterned after the life of Jesus - the anointed One. His followers in Antioch were called Christians because they were Christlike. They reflect the character of Jesus.
You are not a Christian because you go to church on Sunday; not because your parents are Christians or because you answer to a “Christian” name. “By their fruit, you shall know them” (Matthew 7:15-20). And you do not become a Christian to be rich. To nurse that attitude is to define your relationship with God using Satan’s metrics.
God was proud of Job - so proud that He bragged about his piety to the adversary.
“Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright; a man who fears God and shuns evil.” Satan replied, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has and he will surely curse you to your face” (Job 1: 8 - 11).
Think about that.
Satan defines Job’s relationship with God through the lens of “everything he has.” He says to God, Job is your servant because of what he gets. He is blameless and upright because you blessed him. The “accuser of the brethren” says, no one fears God who has no selfish motive. It’s a matter of give and take. Indeed, Satan was saying to God, “You are undeserving of Job’s faithful service;” You won him over with material blessings.
Sounds like the prosperity messaging of our day?
Prosperity and blessing from God are now tied to what you give. The more you give the more you expect to get from God. Satan says no one is responding to God’s goodness, and awesome presence in the universe without being incentivized with material gifts.
We know what followed that conversation:
God allowed the adversary to tamper with “everything” Job had - his wealth, his children, and his health - all. But Job would not curse God and die as counseled by his wife. He remained upright and blameless even after losing all.
That’s character, commitment, and love for God. It’s what Christianity is about. And God did not let him down; Job got back all that was lost. His latter days were greater than the former.
