1 Corinthians 10:31-33 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God — even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.
Paul succinctly distills the Christian mission and message in the above focus when he tells the Galatians I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. As Christians, we are to portray and implement Paul's summary of his life goal in everything that we do, and we do it all for the glory of God. We should seek to do good for all people that they too might find Christ as their Savior. If we live for ourselves and only for those who love or respect us, the message of God's desire that all should be saved will never be seen by this world. Peter writes of God's desire for the world: The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) Our daily goal as we get out of bed should be to help someone else, to make someone else's day better, to do good to all we meet, and to share the Good News. If we champion something else in our lives other than those purposes, we are living primarily for ourselves, our own self-interests. As we read the Bible, we see that God demands action, a change of direction: What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 2:14-17) When we see Jesus' life, we see a servant of God the Father. He said He always did what his Father directed. He desired to please his Father and fulfill his plans. He and the disciples walked thousands of miles to do God's will, to serve the people, to do good to them. Jesus did everything for the glory of God. Paul asks the Galatians to live in a manner that brings glory to God. He has already told them, Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. (1 Corinthians 10:24)
What does this kind of life demand from us? The Christian's daily walk is servanthood. Our authority to direct our lives has been given to another: God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20) If we understand this, we live as He desires, revealing God's face to the world, his nature, his love. Remember, from the beginning we were created in his likeness, with the ability to express his light and life. However, when we accept Christ if we hold onto the old nature, sin and darkness will overshadow the light of Christ. There is no life in our sinful nature, but IN CHRIST we have an eternal nature of truth and righteousness. Now, how do we truly express God's life and go beyond the cliches and aphorisms that we so easily use? Do we say God is love or love your neighbor as yourself without living out those words that are so easily said? Do we reveal the love of God in our actions and reactions, and do we serve as one who loves his or her neighbors with God's love? God chose us and loves us with an everlasting love. His love is not based on reciprocation. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4:10-11) We must try to implement this love by loving and serving our neighbor as ourselves. We smile at people, ask how they are, encourage them. We tell people who serve us that they are doing a good job. We show interest in other people's lives and not just our own. Personally, we usually tell people who serve us in restaurants that they served us well. We want them to know we love them with God's love and want to bless them. Usually, we see smiles and positive reactions to our words, and they want to look out for our best interests. We do not seek reciprocation; we want to bless and to affirm them as hardworking and capable people. We do this with the lawn care people at our condominium. Most of them do not speak much English, but Dad hugs them and tells them they are greatly appreciated. He calls them his heroes, for regardless of the weather, they are out there every Friday taking care of the condominium grounds. Now, we do not know if they know what heroes means, but they are heroes. We want good for them, and Mom helps Dad pick out small gifts for them at Christmas. They always stop a moment to wave at us when we pass by. How many people out there are your heroes, working hard, trying to make a living; but do they know you appreciate them? We can turn our words into life-changing power by our actions.
Why do we so often talk to you about servanthood? Paul says he is a servant of God. Paul describes himself in Romans 1:1: Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God. Likewise in Titus 1:1, Paul states, Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness. Peter describes himself similarly, Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:1) Numerous other Bible passages refer to servants of God. Breakfast companions, we are servants of God as we image God here on our earthly journey. Yet we must ask ourselves whether we are displaying God or ourselves. This is an important question for each of us. James tells us clearly, do not tell me your belief, show me. He is clear on this subject: What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 2:14 & 17) Even the devil knows there is a God; however, he does not serve God, but desires to destroy him. We who are IN CHRIST must reveal God, for the world is looking for him. We have been set free from the enslavement of sin and death; consequently, we should show our freedom, our salvation, by treating people well and serving their needs above ours. They will not change their lives towards God unless they see changed lives in action. We are not an ideology, a philosophy, a different way of living: we are the representation of God himself, the body of Christ. We have an obligation to perform God's will, not our own. If we go our own way, we are nothing but a different way of living, a different idea: we have nothing to give the world but our perspective of how to live. But, if we perform the will of God through our actions, we have real life to give to the world. They will listen to us, they will see Christ in us, and they will want him as their Savior. We do not have to walk thousands of miles to please God. We do not have to preach on the street corner of some major metropolis to please God. No, all we have to be or do is to get up in the morning with a steadfast purpose to do good to others, to love them, to help when needed, and to share Jesus with them that they may be saved. God will put the rest together in people's lives in his perfect time.
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