FaithVenture

Often times in my life, relationships, and ministry, I begin to get frustrated and discouraged by the people and situations I must deal with.  Sometimes I become so frustrated that I begin to wonder if it’s worth it after all.  Is it worth all the hours given; worth all the energy spent; worth all the disappointment and the hurt?  If only people would do what I want them to do, when I want it done, and how I would do it, then life would go a whole lot smoother and the world would be a much better place.

Then  I as read Ken Gire’s The Divine Embrace , I am challenged by statements he makes related to the mentality we often carry related to all the things we are trying to accomplish for the good of our job, our family, our church.  Gire challenges the motivations that drive us, causing us to stop and think about whether we are so passionate about what we are doing because of our devotion to Christ, or out of a sense of duty to Christ. Is our focus on doing things for Jesus  right and perfect because we think we need to do it to gain His approval, or do we do what we do out of a spirit of love for Him.

 Gire sees this disconnect between duty and devotion in Martha’s response to the reality that  Jesus was coming to their house.  Seeing Jesus enter their home, in Martha thinks, “a meal needs to be prepared.  Promptly.  Perfectly.  After all, it was for Jesus.

“Somewhere in the kitchen, though, she lost sight of whom the meal was for.  Maybe it wasn’t for Jesus, not ultimately anyway.  Maybe it wasn’t so much about His need to have a meal as much as it was her need to prepare one. 

“Martha was the dutiful sister.  She had that in common with the dutiful, older brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son.  If you recall, the dutiful brother was also the critical one. . . .“

“Duty destroys relationships, because duty reduces relationships to a to-do list . . . .”

“Duty destroys joy.  Whatever joy we may have derived from our duties is related to a performance, not a person.  If our performance is the source of our joy, it will also be the source of our pride, which in the end will undo us.”

“Our activity for Christ should grow out of our intimacy with Christ.”  (p. 37-38)

As you reflect over your relationship with Jesus, and all you do for your family, His church, for Him, ask yourself this question:  are you doing it because of your deep love for Jesus and because of how His love for you has moved to serve?  Or are you doing it because you think its the duty expected of a good soldier, a good son/daughter?  If it is based in duty instead of devotion, you will never think that what you do is good enough for Jesus, and neither will what others do for Him and for you.

Take time to be one with Jesus.  To love and be loved by Jesus, so that it changes why you loving serve Him and others.

Learning to do the dance with Jesus!

Pastor Tony J.