(7) “Would any of you say to your servant, who had just come in from the field after plowing or tending sheep, ‘Come! Sit down for dinner’? (8) Wouldn’t you say instead, ‘Fix my dinner. Put on the clothes of a table servant and wait on me while I eat and drink. After that, you can eat and drink’? (9) You won’t thank the servant because the servant did what you asked, will you? (10) In the same way, when you have done everything required of you, you should say, ‘We servants deserve no special praise. We have only done our duty.’”
Luke 17:7-10 (CEB)
Hello Readers, hope all’s well. Time for another post. Today’s post is about how we should never expect or demand anything from God in return for our Faith and Service to Him.
I wanted to write today’s post as a follow-up the last Friday’s post. That was End Times Part 98, which was about Law of Attraction (LOA) ideas infecting Christian churches. Sadly, there are many Christians who believe they can create their own reality through prayer, and that God is like a genie who will do anything they ask of Him. They believe their prayers make them omnipotent.
Bad ideas like this mislead us into believing we are gods of our own. This then causes us to exalt ourselves and our will above God’s Will. In other words, it misleads us into the trap of “do as thou wilt,” which is the essence of modern satanism. It’s also the essence of Lucifer’s prideful attitude (the desire to exalt himself above God) which got him kicked out of Heaven in the first place.
Anyway, I thought back to something I had read in Teresa of Avila’s Interior Castle. I remembered she had said something about how we lack humility if we expect anything in return for serving God. Of course that includes earthly rewards like wealth, prosperity, health, and romance which we might pray to God for. The kinds of things a New Ager would use LOA to get for themselves. The kinds of things that deceived Christians demand of God with their unBiblical LOA-inspired prayers.
We are called to be Humble Servants. We should never be asking God about what we can get from Him when He has already given us everything we could ever want in this life or the next—ETERNAL LIFE!! Instead, we should be asking God how we can love and serve Him better.
So let’s hear what Teresa of Avila has to say and think it over.
Humble Servants Don’t Ask for More
In this quote Teresa emphasizes the utmost importance of Humility, one of the most critical Christian Virtues. She says one of the most important ways we show Humility is by not asking God for anything in return for our service. Let’s take a look:
[…] have humility and again humility! […] and the first way in which you will see if you have humility is that if you have it you will not think you merit these favors and consolations of the Lord or are likely to get them for as long as you live. […] There are several reasons why they should not be striven for. The first is because the most essential thing is that we should love God without any motive of self-interest. The second is because there is some lack of humility in our thinking that in return for our miserable services we can obtain anything so great. […] The fourth reason is because His Majesty is not obliged to grant them to us, […]
Teresa of Avila, Interior Castle, Page 55
Pay attention, Reader, because she’s telling the Truth whether we like it or not. It’s vital that we serve God without any motive of self-interest. If we only follow Christ because of what we can gain from being a Christian, then our Faith isn’t genuine. And our service to Christ isn’t genuine, because it’s motivated by the extra benefits instead of a true desire to Serve.
Our Faith must never be motivated by what we can gain.
She’s also right about the value of our Service to God. What need could God have for us and our Service?? God already has all He needs, He doesn’t need us or our Services. But our Service to Him—our good deeds to others—they please Him and He takes joy in them. And this fact is our true blessing—that God takes joy in the good things we do. And that’s more than enough for us.
Remember that God has already given us the greatest blessing we could ever want—eternal Life. We don’t need anything more, that’s the only blessing we could ever possibly need. We’re free to ask for things we desire here on earth, like a Christian marriage, or a better job opportunity, etc., but we must never expect them. And we certainly must never demand them. Through Jesus, God has already given us everything we’ll ever need.
Does any of this sound familiar?? If you think you’ve heard Jesus say the same thing, then Yes, you’re correct. In Luke 17 Jesus tells us “a Servant shouldn’t expect anything special for doing their duty.” A good Christian Servant does their duty simply because that’s what’s expected of them.
(7) “Would any of you say to your servant, who had just come in from the field after plowing or tending sheep, ‘Come! Sit down for dinner’? (8) Wouldn’t you say instead, ‘Fix my dinner. Put on the clothes of a table servant and wait on me while I eat and drink. After that, you can eat and drink’? (9) You won’t thank the servant because the servant did what you asked, will you? (10) In the same way, when you have done everything required of you, you should say, ‘We servants deserve no special praise. We have only done our duty.’”
Luke 17:7-10 (CEB)
In other words, never do a good deed for someone, then look to Heaven and say, “did You see that?? Can I get a promotion at work or at least some PizzaHut coupons for that?? Can I get something?? Hello??”
This is an unBiblical, Catholic, works-based mentality. This idea suggests that God will dish out rewards in exchange for us doing good deeds. This turns us from Humble Christian Servants into paid workers who are “on the clock.” We do good deeds, we get consolations from God. The more good we do, the more God rewards us.
No. In the same way that God doesn’t grant us our free Salvation because of anything we did (Ephesians 2:8-9), we can’t bargain with God for rewards in exchange for good deeds either. It doesn’t work that way, and the LORD will not be bargained with. We can’t earn our Salvation, and we can’t earn our blessings either. It’s all up to God what blessings He wants to give, and when.
(8) You are saved by God’s grace because of your faith. This salvation is God’s gift. It’s not something you possessed. (9) It’s not something you did that you can be proud of. (10) Instead, we are God’s accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things. God planned for these good things to be the way that we live our lives.
Ephesians 2:8-10 (CEB)
As for our good deeds, those deeds should be their own reward for us. Ephesians 2:10, above, tells us God created us anew in Christ to do good things.
Read that again. Don’t you understand?? Doing good deeds is our PURPOSE as Christians. We don’t need or deserve a reward for simply living out our purpose. When we do good deeds, we’re only doing what we’re meant to do, what God created us to do. Good deeds are their own reward for us, and we don’t need anything more.
But for anyone who still desires a reward, remember that whole eternal Life thing I told you about?? Add on the free Forgiveness of all our sins, and you’ll see what an amazing deal we’re getting here. What more could anyone want??
Don’t be a smart a** and answer that last question. Thanks.
We Already Have it All
The key thing to remember is that, in Jesus Christ, God has already given us everything we’ll ever need. Besides the Forgiveness of sins and eternal Life, Jesus gives us the strength to endure anything (Philippians 4:13). As long as we have Christ, which we do if we’re Saved, then we don’t need anything.
(11) I’m not saying this because I need anything, for I have learned how to be content in any circumstance. (12) I know the experience of being in need and of having more than enough; I have learned the secret to being content in any and every circumstance, whether full or hungry or whether having plenty or being poor. (13) I can endure all these things through the power of the one who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:11-13 (CEB)
So we don’t need anything in return for our services, our good deeds. Being able to perform those good deeds is its own reward. And it’s also our duty as Christian Servants, so we should never expect anything in return for our Service, because we’re only doing our duty.
God knows our needs while we’re here on earth, and He provides for them. That’s like our ‘Servants pay.’ Sometimes He adds blessings on top of that, extra things that we enjoy. We’re free to ask God for any good blessing we may desire, like a Christian marriage or a new job, things like that. If it’s God’s Will to bless us with that, then He will in His own time.
But until then, we must be Humble, and take joy in our Salvation and Forgiveness in Jesus Christ, as God intends us to. And then let’s stay Humble, and get to work Serving God by Serving mankind as He expects us to. God will reward us for this later, in Heaven. But until that day comes, just remember that we’re only doing our job, and be Humble about it.
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Until next time, be strong and do good!
Your new best friend in Christ,
99:9
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