Brother, let me be your servant Let me be as Christ to you Pray that I may have the grace To let you be my servant, too
This has been one of my longtime favorite songs ever since I went to my first Promise Keepers back in 1993. I loved the sense of brotherhood I got from the song. However I never quite got it. I spent the next 10 years trying to build up my body of works, so that I was worthy. Actually if I'm being honest, it was more a battle between (and sometimes outside) the guardrails of life as I bounced from one extreme to the other. It was ugly. My head thought it knew what it was supposed to do, but managed to fail miserably in getting it.
Over the next 5 years, I started to get it. And last year about this time, my heart finally was able break through and to become involved and bring my brain into check. I never wanted to accept help from anyone because I would owe them one. And I knew I wouldn't want to pay or rather that I wouldn't be able to pay. After all I needed help with an area because in general I wasn't so good at whatever it was. In the meantime, I happily helped people out because that would mean they owed me one. I don't think I ever got that I was thinking this way, however lookinig back, when it came time to needing something and someone said no, it's obvious I held a grudge.
And so as I say I missed it. In Matthew 18, we find this parable:
18:23 "Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 18:24 When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; 18:25 and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 18:26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' 18:27 And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 18:28 But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, 'Pay what you owe.' 18:29 So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' 18:30 He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. 18:31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. 18:32 Then his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you . all that debt because you besought me; 18:33 and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' 18:34 And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all his debt. 18:35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."
Have you ever stopped to consider that Christ died on the cross for you to not only forgive all the debts you had in the past, but also in the present, and in the future? So why would we think that when we do something for another brother or sister they should owe us one? Or that when someone else does something for us, that we owe them one? We've been released from a much bigger debt than we'll ever have the experience of being owed to us.
We are pilgrims on a journey We are brothers on the road
So why do we do things for others? Do we do it because we owe God? That's a worse thought than if we do it because we're doing it to change our debt status with someone else. If we do it for that reason, we refuse God's gift and try instead to buy it. And not only is that never going to work, but it's an insult to God because we suggest "I could have paid this back eventually!")
We should do it, not because we owe it to him, but because we love Jesus and want to share his love with others. We should be aware that by allowing some one to serve us, we also allow them to share them to share God's love with us.
We are here to help each other Walk the mile and bear the load
We each have a role to play, a part to play as a member of the family of God. But we need help from each other to continue to reach out and change lives as God has called us to do. And there are times when we all need help. Will you make this pilgrimage with me?
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