Don’t break your arm patting yourself on the back …

It’s horrifying to think how closely so many people follow in the footsteps of Satan rather than follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

One way we do that which has become increasingly popular is that people love to be praised. We actually live in a time when you can ask kids what they “want to be when they grow up,” and a almost common answer is to become a “social media influencer.” That can better be interpreted as make a lot of money just by being popular (liked, “adored”) on social media.

Relationship and success “gurus” will teach you to make sure you have a circle of people around you who “celebrate you.” Wasn’t that Satan’s great sin leading to his fall, a desire to be “celebrated” (or worshiped, but often the idea of “celebrating” someone or self isn’t far off from the concept of worship).

Add into that mix that while we’ve elevated the concept of being “celebrated,” for many years now people — including many church leaders — have denounced the idea that as Christians we have a duty to serve God. Just mention the word “duty” and you’ll see some professing Christians first have an apoplectic fit before launching into a tirade that we should serve God out of love for Him, not from a burdensome duty.

I agree …

… that we should serve God out of love.

But it’s also — at the very least — a duty, and it isn’t burdensome.

When it comes to a duty to serve God, Jesus was very matter-of-fact about it, and makes no room for celebrating the little we may do. Absorb this message from Jesus:

“When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’? No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty,'” Luke 17:7-10.

It’s a privilege to be able to serve God. We should desire to pour out our lives in service to Him from a love that is greater for Him than any person or thing in our lives. But because we’re not so good at doing that, we need at the very least, to remember it is our duty — our place, our responsibility — to be fruitful workers in His kingdom, and to not expect being “celebrated” for the little we do.

So don’t break your arm patting yourself on the back for whatever little (or even great) task(s) you may have done for your King. All of our service, throughout our entire lifetimes bundled together, could never repay Him for what He has done for us, what He still does for us, and what He has promised He will yet do. In the light of all that, it’s an incredible privilege to be numbered as a servant of the King of kings.

A final word – we see in scripture that God actually intends to reward us rather lavishly for a life of faith when we are finally with Him. But He doesn’t owe that to us, and we don’t serve Him for a crown or reward. We do so because we love Him … and because it is our duty.

And what if we humbly do our duty?

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor,” James 4:10.

Scotty