A Good And Faithful Servant

What does it mean to be a good and faithful servant in the eyes of the Lord and how do the Christian succeed in this lifelong struggle?

"And Jesus called them to him and said to them,You know those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be a slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Mark 10:42-45

The Bible is clear that Jesus came in the flesh to serve and not to be served. This sacrifice stands in stark contrast to a world obsessing over significance and the glorification of self. And if the sinless Son of Man came to serve and sacrifice, how much more are sinners called to glorify God by serving Him and one another with joyful and loving hearts? Divine fulfilment is achieved by serving through absolute sacrifice and in this regard the following words by Dr Douglas Groothuis rings true:

"Tied to the value of the person is the principle of servanthood. We value what we freely serve."

Servants and Servanthood

"If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be as well. If anyone serves me, the Father will honour him."

John 12:26

When Christ refers to Himself as the way the truth and the life in John 14:6, He is not only referring to Himself being essential in receiving eternal life, He is also referring to Him being the example how believers need to live in this life. Christians are followers of Christ and Jesus calls all His followers servants. And since Christ is the perfect example of being a true and faithful servant, you know in this fallen world you are not called to horde it over others but to serve man and God with an obedient humility.

"And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’"

Matthew 25:40

The Lord can only look upon His servants with favour and blessing if they humble themselves before Him in brokenness and obedience. This is because the Lord reveals Himself by grace to His humblest of servants as stated in James 4:6. And it means humility is indispensable in becoming a true and faithful servant of Christ. Humility understands that everything you have is a gift from God, even your ability to earn a living and to enjoy the fruits thereof. That is why humility always seeks to serve rather than to be served and never lusts after significance and recognition. Because it is aware that self is inherently corrupt and knows the outcome when you strive to be the centre of things.

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves."

Philippians 2:3

Servants have no qualms not being in charge because they would much rather submit than seek control. And they follow this discipline because they know pride corrupts humility. Ignorance enables pride to boast in its own power while humility knows the restrictions caused by the limitations of self. Pride seeks worldly significance while humility inherits heavenly acceptance and pride will always manifest through spiritual ignorance. Also, pride is powerful because it is not human nature to be less. Humility is a discipline which is only attainable through sincere submission. But believing in your own humility and goodness is a sure sign that heavenly humility indeed eludes you.

This is one of the most effective ways in which pride disguises itself as humility. You cannot obtain humility by simply seeking it, you develop it by becoming more Christlike. And when one passionately yearns to conform to Christ you will naturally be compelled to follow the teachings in His Word. This causes a sincere humility which leads to holiness. And your incessant effort to grow in holiness is also the proof you have converted to a new life.

Servants of Christ know that because of their own depravity it is only by God's grace that they are able to resemble goodness, whereas the servants of the world have no shame in boasting about their own goodness. This statement is especially true since many humanists and even atheists brazenly gloat in their own goodness through the works of their hands. Even though the majority of such works is performed from their abundance and not their lack.

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

Ephesians 2:10

An important question to ask is if only the Lord took notice, and no one else, of your good deeds and charity, would you still be motivated to serve others? Acts of service do not necessarily reflect sincere motivation and may be a need to exalt self. The prideful heart have no qualms taking part in perceived good deeds, even if only to portray a sense of pureness to fool a desperate world. Because in his fallen nature man craves admiration. This is why many unbelievers and even some Christians with truth-issues convince the world of their pure and good hearts by engaging in random acts of kindness. And although such acts may indeed be to someone's benefit, the Lord is aware of the true motivation in those hearts. Good deeds performed with the wrong motivation will take your eyes of the Lord only to become occupied with the abilities of self. So that a world which is fixated with health and wealth may admire you even more.

"Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward."

Matthew 6:2

In becoming more Christlike it means you would rather perform acts in secret and are content in receiving no recognition. You prefer if the world remains unaware of your charitable deeds because you want all the honour and glory to be given to the Lord. It is important to remember that serving others do not necessarily point to true servanthood. It is quite possible to serve for recognition, attention or even a guilty conscience. And in such case the true spirit of servanthood will be absent. The following words by Amy Carmichael beautifully explains the simplicity in godly giving:

"You can always give without loving, but you can never love without giving."

True servants are identified by the humility they emanate and false servants by hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is when you endeavour to make yourself look wholesome and pure while at the same time you nurture a corrupt heart and mind. Those who serve to score points with either Christ or man will always count the cost of any service and use their respective responsibilities as an excuse to engage further than they are financially or emotionally comfortable with. They have clear boundaries concerning their true charitable nature, but if such charity is to their personal advantage, they have no problem to adjust their own rules to adapt to a particular situation or circumstance.

"If anyone says, 'I love God', and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother."

1 John 4:20-21

Honest and sincere servanthood needs to be engaged through a personal relationship with God. It is a lifestyle and not a gesture of goodness to gain temporary attention. The enemy disguises attention and recognition to look like honour and only humility can spot the difference. As opposed to pride failing the test every time. Servants do not seek their own benefit or reward and do not serve because of an expectation to receive something in return. They know everything belongs to God. Therefore, they are content in the knowledge they have already received more than they could ever hope or be deserved of, and that gift pertains to their eternal salvation.

Servants know the glory they will receive by committing their lives to Christ, is yet to come in the next life. They never rely on the use of excuses to explain their behaviour and always take responsibility for their words and deeds. Servants continue to serve when they are persecuted, even when the charitable deed is inconvenient or costly. In other words, servants persevere for the sake of Christ. And even though they may be accused of spiritual pride or arrogance, they know that those who are still in the world cannot grasp the depth and magnitude of true servanthood. And it is this awareness in servants of Christ preventing them from taking offence from hurtful words.

"But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."

Matthew 5:44-45

If you serve the Lord, you will follow, trust and obey Him only. You will turn away from following and depending on the world and you will remain obedient irrespective of your circumstances. Not only when it is easy, comfortable or to your advantage. At the same time you will hold fast to the knowledge it is impossible to serve God without also depositing all your trust in Him. For the greater your obedience, the more unconditional your trust in Him. But a life lived in obedience to God is not always a life lived in comfort and convenience as is clear from John 16:33.

Because the life you lead does determine your spiritual seed. What you sow in the spirit you will also reap in the spirit. But if your life revolves around material gain your spiritual landscape will be desolate. And without spiritual discernment and maturity you will not remain upright during an onslaught. Those who serve and trust the Lord know their Heavenly Father will equip them for whatever He requires of them and they know the power they receive to serve does not come from within them. It is a gracious gift from above given unto them to glorify their Saviour.

"Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen."

Hebrews 13:20-21

Walking by faith and not by sight is contrary to how the world operates. There needs to be a willingness by the servant to take some "risk" in following God. Because to seek first the kingdom also means you are willing to risk it all for Christ. To trust, hope and to believe without seeing as the scriptures reveal in Romans 8:24 and Hebrews 11:1. And by denying self and the world, the "risk" is embraced because you obediently put your trust in Christ.

The parable in Matthew 25:14-30 refers to a servants unwillingness to take the risk by succumbing to passivity in doing nothing. And in the end his talents were given to the faithful servant who was willing and obedient to glorify his master. By not actively living a life which does not testify of Christ's presence is like the servant who buried his talents. And in essence it is a refusal to take part in the Great Commission. Do the life you lead testify of your irrevocable trust in the Lord regardless of your circumstances, or is your faith and willingness influenced by your comfort and fleshly circumstances?

In the kingdom of God every servant is a somebody. And being a somebody is not defined by worldly significance because the Lord is a respecter of the heart and not the person. Always put all your trust and faith in the Saviour and never in the fleeting impermanence of this fallen world. But those who bow down to the pressures and temptations conceived by the powers of darkness in this world, remain blind to the fact that complacency is nothing other than ignorant retreat. And the heart of the Father can only be reached and accessed by bearing forward, regardless.

The reluctance of the Israelites to keep bearing forward in the wilderness was a foreshadowing of the reluctance of believers today to move from the outer court into God's holy sanctuary. Because in a world where there is religious freedom to a large extent, where the Word of God is readily accessible and there are many testimonies and preaching, people still put Christ second in favour of affluence and comfort. Even if it remains only a desire.

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."

1 Peter 5:6-7

In this world obsessed with power, significance and importance it is telling to note that according to Scripture, God may predestine and ordain the least among men to mightily serve His purpose. This is in total contrast with how the god of this world operates. In this world it is only the most materially significant and powerful among men who seem to have attained true purpose. Satan uses the sinful nature of men against them to accept their dependence on the things of this world while the Lord uses the sinful nature to emphasise man's dependence on Him. And even though everyday life testifies to the world's dependence on this deception, there remains an overwhelming reluctance to embrace the Lord's way.

Most people want instant reward and gratification when serving, despite the multitude biblical examples pointing to a glorification in the next life. But it is the security the servant enjoys in God's love for him or her which enables them to overcome a need for the recognition from others. What sort of servant are you? One who pursues the tangible rewards and admiration of the world in this life, or one who diligently and patiently wait for an unseen promise to be fulfilled in the next? Is your main purpose in your everyday life to enrich yourself, just to survive and get by or to glorify God in whatever you do?

"For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God."

1 Corinthians 1:26-29

Serving Others

"For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them."

John 12:15-17

The Lord created man in His own image. This means He also created man to serve. But due to man's fallen nature and free will, he will either serve the world and himself or the Lord and his fellow man. Servants of Christ do not have pre-conceived ideas on who and how they will serve. There is no racial or arrogant prejudice in their hearts because they stand in awe and in fear of the words in Colossians 1:16 declaring that all things were created through Him and for Him. They hold on to the words in Matthew 23:11 declaring the greatest is the servant who is the least and they always serve to the benefit of others. They take the teaching to heart in Philippians 2:1-30 reminding believers to count others more and take joy in obeying the words in Galatians 5:13 to serve one another. And they know they can only serve others if they serve God and they do so because they have an urge and need to serve because they want to glorify and honour the Lord.

"Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ."

Ephesians 5:21

To suffer from the effects of pride when serving others is a reality for believers since even Jesus' disciples experienced delusions of grandeur when they argued among one another who was the greatest. If acts of service have the wrong motivations, it will lead to self-righteousness. And this weakness is a reality as Luke 9:46 and Luke 22:24 clearly illustrates. If the disciples in the company of Jesus gave in to pride and arrogance concerning who the greatest was among them, how much more do you need to watch your own heart? Therefore, if as a Christian you profess the "old" you were crucified, and you praise the Lord for the birth of the "new" you, there should be a noticeable difference in how you perceive the needs of others. You should honestly ask yourself whether it is even possible for a "new creature" to have been born only to remain focussed on your own needs and desires.

All believers are warned in Matthew 25:31-46 not to ignore or become hardened against the needs of others. In reality it seems that the more man receives, the less willing he is to share. And the more people prosper the more convinced they become of their own greatness and the more they live to accomplish their goal to enrich themselves even more. They remain ignorant to the words in Psalm 24:1, 89:11 and 1 Corinthians 10:26 in which the Word declares that everything belongs to God. Everything, even all the money in the world belongs to the Lord as Haggai 2:8 declares that all gold and silver belong to the Lord. But it is clear that the Lords own words in Job 41:11 in which He says that whatever is under the whole heaven is His, is ignored to a large extent. Even by churchgoing Christians.

Can you grasp the arrogance of mankind as you realise he is holding onto and claiming things which in the first place do not even belong to him? Everything you have is by grace, because if it had been by your own accord, you would not have been able to call it grace to begin with. How much more effective would serving others have been performed if only all believers had understood the truth that everything under the heavens belong to God? And what would this world have looked like if all Christians were willing to use their resources to truly glorify God and not just themselves?

"Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it."

Deuteronomy 10:14

The better your understanding of God's immeasurable love for you, the better you will serve those around you. For if you cannot serve all seen strangers and neighbours with humility and love, how will you accomplish serving an unseen Saviour wholeheartedly? The text in 1 John 3:16-18 refers to an inability to be filled with the love of Christ if you cannot have empathy on the hardships of others. What good is empathy if you are unwilling to put yourself in their shoes? Besides that, your own love for Christ also manifests through your need to serve others.

Unfortunately, most people who experience material abundance give their own possessions and desires priority over and above the needs of others. Because they believe they created and therefore deserve their prosperity. How do people confirm with their mouths that everything they received is by the grace of God and everything they have belongs to God when the lives they life only testify to them living for themselves? When Jesus said that whatever you ask in His name you need to believe and you will surely receive it, He wasn't referring to planes, trains, automobiles and palaces. He was referring to the things of the Spirit which believers need to conform to, to glorify God in this life. Things such as love, hope, faith, obedience, humility and goodness. Not health and wealth.

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be as well."

Matthew 6:21

A true servant's reverence for others should extend to those who provoke them the most. But unconditional love for one another is lacking because wholehearted service to God is tainted. True servants do not serve others for the glory and honour they might receive from man. Servants want to glorify God even if it means being put to shame by man. They do not serve others because man believes in them, but because the Lord is behind them. They are not derailed by the opinions and persecutions of the world and hold fast to the words in John 7:6 which reveals that even Jesus' own family did not believe in Him. In fact, in Mark 3:21 Scripture says His family and those nearest to Him were more than likely embarrassed by Him and may even have thought that His mind wasn't sound.

If the family of the sinless Son of Man thought He was an embarrassment, what will the world's perception be concerning the devoted Christian today? But the issue is not what the world might think concerning your Christianity but whether you care? Are you concerned with man's opinion regarding your convictions or are you focussed on the Lord? It is futile to try and satisfy both God and man at all times. And the sooner you make the right choice, the sooner the sincerity in your heart can be tested and purified. Above all, the servant of Christ serves because serving is inseparable from bearing the cross. And servants know by living to lose their lives now they will someday find the eternal life Jesus promises to all those who follow Him diligently.

The undeserved invitation in Mark 8:34-38 speaks of a life of loss and life of gain for the servant of Christ. A life in which you lose yourself but gain the Saviour. You lose the desires of the flesh and gain spiritual maturity. You lose the false doctrines of others and gain the truth in His Word. You lose the opinions of others and gain Christ's perspective. You lose fear of the world and gain trust in the Lord. You lose doubt and gain hope. You lose pride and gain humility. You lose grumbling and gain joy. You lose selfishness and gain patience. You lose judgment and gain love. You lose significance and gain persecution. You lose the need for comfort and gain perseverance. You lose condemnation and gain justification. You lose worldly rejection and gain heavenly acceptance. You lose guilt and gain forgiveness. You lose excuses and gain responsibility. You lose the belief in the power of self and gain power through faith in Christ. You lose the need for material prosperity and gain His divine provision. You turn away from habitual sin and turn towards obedience to Christ because Romans 8:8 says that those who are bound by the flesh cannot please God.

A servant is only true if Christ is the complete substitution in his or her life and not merely an addition to the life already lived. For to serve Christ in this life is a life of giving and not receiving. But servants hold onto His promise they will receive much more than they can possibly fathom in the eternal life to come. Are you living the faith in which you want the Sovereign God to move according to your will or are you submitting to the faith in which you allow an Omniscient God to move you? Who's will are you pursuing to satisfy in your everyday life, yours or the Lords? Is it hope or desperation which reigns supreme in your life and what are you prepared to sacrifice to attain sanctification? The life of the servant of Christ rejects any form of compromise. Because if you cannot stay true to who you were created to be, how do you expect to stay true to your Creator?

"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned."

John 15:5-6

In Luke 14:33 the Lord said that if His followers were not willing to renounce all that they had, they could not be His disciples. Are you willing in your heart to sacrifice all that you are and all that you have on God's holy altar? And are you willing to let an Omniscient God take a look inside your heart? The following quote by the well known American pastor Aiden Wilson Tozer, is an accurate reflection of the heart of a servant of Christ:

"I am thy servant to do thy will and that will is sweeter to me than position or riches or fame. And I choose it above all things on earth or in Heaven."

The Gift of Giving

"Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, 'Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it'—when you have it with you."

Proverbs 3:27-28

Serving is about caring and caring is about giving. Not just from a materialistic or monetary perspective but also an emotional and spiritual perspective. It is one thing to assist someone financially and entirely another to emotionally support someone who has just lost a loved one. However, in both cases you served by giving. Therefore, be encouraged in knowing that you will never be able to out-give God. The Lord may even bless sincere givers so others may see He takes care of His own and in the process be glorified. But "taking care of His own" does not mean extravagant opulence. Are you cheerfully giving from the abundance in your heart because you trust in God's provision, or do you give from a place of worldly abundance as part of a ritual in which you anxiously try to remain materially blessed? In other words, do you give to receive or do you truly give for the sake of giving. For the heart may be able to fool the world but never the Lord.

"Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God."

Hebrews 13:16

This life exposes believers to various scenarios prompting them to serve by whatever means is deemed appropriate pertaining to a specific situation or circumstance. The resources you make available at any point to serve others may include your time, wisdom, experience, knowledge, support, faith, etcetera. And Christians are supposed to do this because they care and not because there is anything to gain but mutual love, respect and understanding.

Unfortunately, in this world people are hesitant to give if the giving does not benefit them to some extent. Either they want honour, prestige and reverence or some or other financial gain. At other times they may give without expectation but then in reality their sacrifice rarely cost them anything. They throw fish to the poor but are unwilling to invest the resources to teach them how to fish. And they throw contributions at poverty not to ease the problem but to sooth a conscience. Eagerly displaying a willingness to give, but at no tangible cost. Because they are oblivious to the fact that the main ingredient of servanthood is love and not resources. And whatever costs you nothing is worth whatever you paid for it. Like the psalmist in Psalm 119:37, believers should supplicate to the Lord to help them in turning their eyes from material desires and the glorification of self and to be content that He is your portion as stated in verse 57.

"The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully."

2 Corintians 9:6

Does the life you lead testify of your servant heart or does it testify of your quest for earthly comfort and significance? What are the true motives of your heart when all your accumulated assets and possessions are considered? There is nothing wrong with having nice and expensive things but if your life revolves around the procurement of nice and expensive things, there is a problem. Because the Lord did not give you favour and grace just so you could serve and enrich yourself. What good is the prayer of the rich and wealthy if they are unwilling to contribute to comfort the homeless, the orphan or the widow? What good are their prayers if that which they accumulate far outweigh what they give back?

When you pray for people whom you know are in need but make no resource you have available, is your heart truly in the matter? By the same token severe poverty is also not an excuse not to give as 2 Corinthians 8:12 shows that as long as you are willing, whatever you give will be acceptable according to what you have and not what you do not have. As long as you have a desire to serve by giving, the Holy Spirit will bless you with whatever ways to do so. It is not that the Lord needs your money as all the money in the world belongs to Him to begin with. He needs a willing and servant heart that is able to give without being begged. A heart that discerns needs by walking with, and trusting the Holy Spirit.

"The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned."

1 Corinthians 2:14

Jesus said you would know where your heart is by looking at where your treasures are. So when you constantly think about how much you can keep or gain instead of how much you can give, does your heart reflect Christ? And doesn't the text in Acts 20:35 state there is more happiness in giving than receiving? But when reflecting on the realities in this world it would seem the more favour the Lord entrusts upon people, the harder it becomes to give back. You would think the more God gives, the more is given back. But this is sadly not the norm. It seems the more they receive, the more people want to keep for themselves. Submitting to the enchantments of wealth will cause people to hold on to what they have for fear of having less when asked to give. But trying to hold on to God's money will only cause it to burn more. This does not necessarily mean the wealth will dissipate, but it does mean the wealth will take God's place in your life. And if there is anything or anyone that receives preference above the Lord in your life, you will not receive eternal life in the end. To know whether the Lord is really number one in your life, He needs to be the only thing you are unwilling to part with.

The text in Philippians 4:19 does not refer to the Lord supplying in your wealth, luxury and comfort. It refers to God supplying in all your needs according to His will and is also based on your generosity. The apostle Paul knew the needs of the Philippians would be met through Christ because of their heartfelt generosity. They were content with their circumstances because their total reliance on Christ caused them to be. But where do your loyalties lie? In creating comfort or in serving God? If the things you needed most were provided for by yourself or others, the gospel would have preached people and not Christ.

It is all about stewardship and every living soul will have to recount what they did with that which the Lord entrusted to them. Did you bury your talents or did you multiply it? And multiplication in this regard is not referring to the size of your bank account. Did your talents glorify God or only you? If the true Owner of everything that was entrusted to you is going to seek an account from you in due time, can you afford not to give? The following quote by pastor John MacArthur is a beautiful example of the true nature of stewardship:

"All Christians are but God's stewards. Everything we have is on loan from the Lord and entrusted to us for a while to use in serving Him."

Stewards are not owners but manages over the affairs and resources of another on their behalf. But stewardship is more about the state of your heart than your perceived generosity. And to be a sincere steward you first need to acknowledge everything belongs to God as declared in Psalm 50:12 and 1 Chronicles 29:11. In the parable in Mark 10:17-23 the rich young man, who in his ignorance thought he served the Lord, could not part with that which God had entrusted to him. He idolised his possessions and wealth and was unwilling to part with it to follow Christ. The Lord was not the number one priority in his life and that is why on that day the Lord will declare He does not know the rich young man. In fact, he never knew him to begin with. Regardless of him professing his faith. To profess faith is meaningless if there is no unshakable trust in the Lord. Also, there is a vast difference in professing your faith as opposed to possessing faith. Those who profess faith acknowledge the cross with sweet words and self-centred actions when their days are free from trials and tribulations, while those who possess the faith persist in carrying their crosses. Especially when their days are burdened.

Silent perseverance always dulls the hollow noise made by empty words. The one talks the talk while the other walks the walk. And even though from man's perspective they may seem identical at first, from God's viewpoint it is always the heart that determines the sincerity and distinguishes between those He knows and those He doesn't. There is a price to be paid in becoming a disciple of Christ and the price is costly from any perspective. But the Lord promises in Romans 8:18, the gain will far outweigh the sacrifice. The issue is not wealth and riches but the priority it has in your life. When the Lord blesses you with wealth and riches do you first seek to raise your standard of living or do you also raise your standard of giving? Do you give from a marketing perspective so you may gain even more or do you give because you truly care? On the other hand, when you are exposed to poverty, are you truly content with your circumstances or do you secretly desire wealth? For the one circumstance is surely as wrong as the other.

"So therefore, any of you who does not renounce all he has cannot be my disciple."

Luke 14:33

To become relevant to God, a servant needs to be willing to become irrelevant to the world because true servants may be in the world but they are never from the world. Do you put all your trust in the Egypt (world) mentioned in Isaiah 31:1 or do you believe the Lord works for those who wait for Him as Isaiah 64:4 declares? You are not called to serve God on your terms and conditions. Fortunately in man's wicked and corrupted state he does not get to determine his own terms and conditions. Man is called to trust, obey and have faith in the God he loves and serves. And this truth is the golden rule believers live by.

Christians need to look beyond the hypocritical pollution in the world of charity and rely on the guidance provided for sincere hearts by the Holy Spirit. Recognise hypocrites for being those who proclaim to trust in the Lord through complete submission, only to be reluctant to use their resources for the glorification of His kingdom. Just in case they may encounter a personal need or lack. Their fear of tomorrow steals their joy and their cheerful and giving hearts are polluted by a need to always advance their own circumstances. However, they remain willing to pray day and night because the cost is not palpable. They have faith without works and therefore their faith is as dead as a herring. These are the ones who succumb to ignorance and blissful arrogance when they resist summoning the courage to anguish over the various burdens of a fallen world around them. Because the number one priority in their lives are themselves.

"What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself if it does not have works is dead."

James 2:14-17

Christians should never give with an expectation to receive something in return, nor should they be giving because of a sense of duty pressing on them. They should always give as an act of worship and trust in which they acknowledge the Lord as their only Provider and Source. Because the Creator of the universe is all about giving and sharing with a joyful heart. But the god of this fallen world is all about taking and accumulating due to a mind bent on the preservation and exaltation of self. And by submitting to the truth that you are a steward of possessions entrusted to you by grace, you will seek to lift the living God upon high, and not yourself. It's not about how much you give but whether what you give is part of an expendable resource or income or a sacrifice from the heart. The heart of the matter remains the essence as the true reason for your giving remains the issue. Is your giving calculated and based only on an affordability or is it inspired by an immovable trust in One who provides?

The preaching of the heretical prosperity gospel did its own damage in determining true motives. Many Christians today believe they ought to give so they may be blessed and receive the Lord's favour. They give to receive and believe the more they give the more they will receive. Proponents of the prosperity gospel also believe that because of their works the Lord endorses their health and wealth. They have misinterpreted Scripture to suit their own intents and purposes and they are deeply deceived.

The truth is many Christians miss the Lord's blessing and favour on their lives because they are unwilling to trust and submit to the Lord and because the true motives in their hearts are corrupt. They plead for physical breakthroughs in their lives while their spirits thirsts for His living water. These are the people frantically looking for their Saviour when afflicted because they cannot see Him waiting in the spirit. These are also the people who shamelessly create doctrines to suit their own lifestyles. They reduce a Holy and Omnipotent God to their level of understanding so they can have the "best" in this world as well as the one to come. They believe the broad road and wide gate with its easy access and multitudes that go there lead to heaven, but they are profoundly misled.

"You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God."

James 4:4

Tithing

In the Old Covenant man was instructed to give through a commandment that was the law and the amount was specific. The concept of tithing was first recorded in Leviticus 27:30-32 and meant that a tenth of the produce of the earth would be consecrated and set apart for God's purposes. Since Christ came and fulfilled the law, the New Covenant is based on love and not a law. Therefore, your giving should be sacrificial and not specific to the letter of the law. When the apostle Paul declares in 2 Corinthians 9:7 that believers in the New Covenant should give with a giving heart that is not forced, he is saying that since the liberty which motivates you to give and to be of service to God is greater now than in the Old Testament, believers should be motivated by pure convictions and not minimum percentages. to want to give beyond the Hebrew terms specified in the Old Covenant.

This means the giving and servant heart will at the very least see tithing as a foundational contribution from where one begins to give. And as long as your heart remains giving He will provide a way for you to give regardless of your circumstances. Although not necessarily in a monetary way. You tithe because you want to honour God and further His cause and His works in this fallen world. And for the sincere servant the tithe is not a specific requirement and formality since they live by the principle that the more they receive from the Lord, the more they want to give back to Him. Also, the verses in 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 shows your giving should always be planned and not just random. Random acts of giving are great when undertaken as the Spirit leads, but should be the exception to the rule. The Lord is not a random God but a God who meticulously planned every single event in all of creation. If you make the effort in planning your life in all its intricate details, shouldn't you also make the effort in planning your giving to the Lord?

If the Holy Spirit indwells the believer the giving will always begin from a place of sacrificial love. Those in the kingdom of God constantly look for ways in which they can give more while those in the world will look for reasons to give less. When you use Scripture to motivate your belief that tithing is not applicable anymore, is your heart honestly in the right place? Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 9:7 do not mean that your giving is not applicable anymore, it refers to there being no 10% limit attached to it. He is saying you should give from the abundance of your heart in which you are not limited to a legalistic formality.

In other words, the essence of proportional giving described by Paul means that believers are not limited to 10% as in the Old Covenant. He is also saying that true givers want to give, they need not be asked, and they do so with a liberty which eliminates any guilt. And an important purpose behind the principle of giving and proportional tithing is to safeguard you against materialism and self-glorification. It is important to remember the Lord always wants His children to do more for His kingdom, yet many seem to strive to do more for themselves.

"Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need."

Malachi 3:8-10

The prolific inventor of earthmoving equipment, Robert Gilmour LeTourneau (1888 - 1969), is an inspiring example of sincere servanthood. With no formal education he became the leading earthmoving machinery manufacturer of his day with plants on four continents and over 300 patents to his name. He is famous for living on 10% of his income and giving 90% to advance the gospel of Christ. It is this selfless advancement of the gospel which ranks him as one of the greatest Christian businessmen of all time. His is a humbling example on how not to enrich oneself at the expense of the Lord and to find absolute contentment in all aspects of life. The following quote by him is an eye-opener concerning servanthood:

"It is not about how much of my money I give to God, but how much of His money I keep for myself."

The society you live in should never determine what the principles of true Christianity are. The world you live in is wicked to the core and therefore the Word of God should always be your only benchmark. True servants of Christ will follow His example to serve and not to be served and this principle will manifest in their lives if they diligently seek His will and His way. If the sinless Saviour of man humbled and sacrificed Himself so that an undeserved human race could have an expectation to dwell in His eternal presence, how much more are you as a sinner called to embrace His example of sincere servanthood in humble gratitude? You only have one life in which to become a true and faithful servant of God and succeeding will determine your reward or condemnation for all eternity. So, even though the concept of eternity is incomprehensible to your finite mind, you need to know the way you conduct yourself in this fleeting moment called life will determine your eternal position.

May the Holy Spirit convict you and drive you to live a life by serving to the fullest so that on that day your Heavenly Father may utter the following words to you:

"His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'"

Matthew 25:21

May your love for Christ compel you not to relent to the temptation in becoming a significant servant from the worlds point of view but may you boldly serve the Lord by fearlessly entering through the narrow gate. The one that is hard and difficult and which very few finds. And may the following words by an anonymous Christian be rooted in your heart of hearts:

"Lord, I am willing to receive what You give. I am willing to lack what You withold. I am willing to relinquish what You take. I am willing to suffer what You inflict. I am willing to be what You require."