Serving God When Others Hate You
Lesson: The Joy of True Service
Introduction
True
service requires us to change how we think about rewards, our purpose, and especially criticisms.
Drawing from the writings of
St. Paul, and the Gospel of John, this lesson explains what it means
to be a servant of God.
We reflect on the
meaning of true service, emphasizing that genuine
dedication requires self-sacrifice and joy, rather than seeking human
applause.
It encourages believers to work solely for God and
trust in His divine reward, and to use criticism or ingratitude from
others to learn - instead of trying to match it with combativeness.
1. The Principle of Generous Sowing
Scripture teaches that our input directly determines our output.
The Law of the Harvest: He who sows little reaps little; he who sows abundantly reaps abundantly.
The Condition of the Heart: Giving must come from the heart, never out of obligation, guilt, unwillingness, or approval seeking.
Divine Provision: God loves a cheerful giver. He provides the seed to the sower and multiplies the fruits of righteousness so you always have enough to do good work.
2. Service as a Form of Dying to Self
Jesus provides the ultimate definition of leadership through sacrifice.
The Grain of Wheat: A grain of wheat must fall to the ground - and die – if it is to produce fruit. If it doesn't die – or refuses to - it remains a single, isolated seed.
The Cross as the End Zone: Jesus came exclusively to serve, and that service led directly to the Cross. True service requires dying to our personal pride, our sense of superiority, and our ego.
The Pitfall of Applause: If we serve to get congratulations, appreciation, or praise,...to make ourselves look good, or better than others... we are not servants.
We are merely jesters looking for an audience to applaud.
3. Embracing the "Teachers of Life"
The foregoing is good and we all love calming reflective teaching. But, theres another side to this - a test, if you will.
Because in our journey, we will encounter people
who oppose, judge, criticize, even loathe us.
And to this we have to
say, “GOOD!”
Then, we must reframe how we view them.
Pharisees and Slanderers: Just as Jesus faced hypocritical, even violently hateful critics, so too will we face people who watch our moves to judge us, to form their own malicious opinions of us, and to spread rumors that serve their own mal intent.
The Purpose of Critics: But, these difficult, obstinate - often belligerent - people are really, "teachers of virtue." Its not that they are neccessarily virtuous, of course. Often they are not, despite what they may say. But God allows them to enter our shpere and test our patience, our tranquility, and especially, our testimony.
But be loving as you do. That way, you are clean and you have nothing to fear from them.
Why? Because you are serving God by teaching, first.
Keep this in mind: It is not
wrong to do these things, even if you upset people in doing them. Hey, the fact is, most of those aligned against you will NOT like hearing things presented this way...particularly if it points the finger at them.
After all, Jesus did just that, and He died on the Cross for it. And He told us
if we did it in His name – we could expect the same treatment He
got.
So let the belligerents talk, let them paste their opinions, their rhetoric, and let them point fingers. Let them shout and act superior. Meanwhile the wise listen; they
take learning from the situation.
So let the enemy scream, while
you pray to God for His mercy UPON them - and learn.
Be wise.
4. Serving the Master, Not the Crowd
This goes against our nature, as a rule, so in order to do this, we must get our validation from the right source to avoid burnout and bitterness.
The Last Bench: True servers do not sit in the front pew, hoping to be noticed, looking for honors. They stay in the back, content to help and serve without recognition.
Work for God, Not People:
Do not be a parent just for your children; parent your children for God who entrusted them to you.
Do not serve just for your community; serve for God who gave you the ministry.
The Ultimate Paymaster: If people fail to thank you, or worse, beat you up for being what and who you are – Gods servant - it does not matter.
Humans often pay poorly, and those rallied against you will give you the worst of returns.
But God pays a hundred times better. So pray for them and hope to teach them...not for you, but for their good and for God.
Summary Reflection: The Joy of Serving
When
we serve with bitterness, our fruits turn out rotten, small, and
ugly.
When we serve with genuine joy, our harvest is abundant.
No matter who speaks against you, or who fails to thank you, keep
your eyes on the ultimate goal.
You do not work for the crowd –
especially those who are willingly and deliberately aligned against
you.
You owe them love and, hopefully, illumination. Pray for
them, always.
But they are your, “Pharisees,” as you work for
the Lord.
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