Wednesday, April 16, 2008

An Addendum

By Hannah and Lindsey

The late missionary to Africa, Paris Reidhead, once told the story of a man who held thousands of slaves captive on an island in the Atlantic. The man declared that no preacher would ever approach his slaves with the Gospel. Never would he allow such "Christian nonsense" on his island.

Upon hearing of this, two young men were disturbed. The idea of thousands of people forced to remain on an island all their lives, with no hope of ever hearing the Gospel was enough to stir them to action. Yet what these men chose to do was unique.

They didn't stockpile ammunition for a shoot 'em up raid of the island. They didn't bomb the slaveowner's home. In fact, their course of action required more strength of purpose and sacrifice than that.

What did the men do? They sold themselves. If only slaves were allowed on the island, then slaves they would become. Although the men were only in their twenties, and seemed to have their entire lives ahead of them, they abandoned themselves to the cause of the Gospel.

When at last the men stood aboard the ship that would carry them to slavery, waving goodbye to loved ones on shore, one shouted the last words his family would ever hear from the two men: 'May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering!'

The focus of these two men is notable. It certainly wasn't on themselves; this was no mad strategy to gain recognition. Their focus wasn't even on the slaves they would evangelize, although clearly the men cared for the people's fate. No, the primary motive of the two men was glorifying God, no matter the cost.

With the same mindset, Paul wrote to the Philippians: "...It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death." (Philippians 1:20)

Sadly, honoring Christ is often a peripheral goal. I talk about "glorifying God" all the time, but if I'm honest, that phrase is often silently twined with an image of someone else's glory. Mine.

But what if... what if I went out and accomplished great things for God, and the only words that fell from people's mouths were words revering, adoring, and worshipping my Father? He ought to be worshipped, of course, but what if I received no part in the recognition whatsoever-- not even a tiny sliver of praise? What if I was invisible-- if the only Person honored by "my" achievements was the One who I claimed to be serving, not the servant?

I need to ask myself: Would I still care? Would I still be motivated to make a difference? And not only motivated, but passionately, obsessively determined? Would a single-hearted desire for His glory, and His alone, be enough to stir me to action? My answers reveal the impurity of my heart. Secretly, I want a little piece of the cake, too.

I recently read a quote from Thomas Brookes (HT: GirlTalk ) about this human-centered mindset:

“Christ has done great things for His people, and He has suffered great things for His people, and He has purchased great things for His people, and He has prepared great things for His people; yet many of His own dear people are so taken up with their own hearts, and with their own duties and graces, that Christ is little eyed by them or minded by them! This is the great reason why so many Christians, who will certainly go to heaven—do walk in darkness, and lie down in sorrow.”

How can I serve God, and still 'lie down in sorrow'? How can I work constantly and still be without joy? Perhaps because my service isn't really for God after all, and all of my greatest efforts, no matter how successful, are completely fruitless apart from the goal of returning God with every inch of the spotlight.

And yet, it isn't enough to check my motives. I must repent, and ask God to re-align them. Because at the end of the day, God doesn't just want my service; He wants my life. And more than a life spent going through the motions of obedience without real conviction, He wants my love.

Above all, the challenge to myself is to live well, so that my dying breath will mirror His will for me: "'May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering!' And may I belong to You, completely."

Part One//Part Two//Questions To Consider//An Addendum

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