Status and how others see us, have become primary things in the lives of many today. Job titles or church titles, honorific or actual are often far too important to many. Maybe there is a sense that if "I am called some grandiose thing, others will respect me more"? Maybe its about self value and having a title that gives us a better sense of value and worth?
I wonder in Church life how we see ourselves and others? I can recall when we lived in Italy one person in the church "owned" a particular role in the small church community that we attended. As result of that persons desire to hold on to that position and apparent authority, no one else was prepared to get involved with that. In other church situations I have come across both those in leadership and those who are not, cherishing titles and roles.
Maybe the question we all should ask ourselves in whatever roles we perform in church life is simply for whom do I do this? Me? The church? The people in the church? Christ?
If as Peter tells us:
1Peter:2-9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Then all have a part to play, all are as Paul says, heir to the kingdom, co-heirs rather than heirs in some hierarchical scheme. different parts of the same body with different functions but all needed. It is all too easy to use models of leadership which are more authoritarian, verging on dictatorship and when not challenged, assume that everyone else is OK with that.
Jesus showed his disciples a different way of looking at church and our roles, he washed the disciples' feet as a demonstration of what he meant. And his response to being questioned about rank in the kingdom of God was even more astonishing, learn to be a servant. In effect serve others and you will be great in the kingdom.
All of us who follow Jesus, need to take this on board, no matter what role we have in church life we would do well to note Jesus words and perhaps couple them with the sacrificial love that Christ tells us of, so that what we do is then a joy and a delight. Why? maybe because then we will no longer do things to seek acclaim, a special place, a pedestal, in fact seeking nothing at all in return for serving Christ's church and people in whatever capacity he asks of us. We simply serve as Christ has asked us to.
Then notice, status and position will count for nothing, all and everything we do will be for Him who loved us enough to die for us, expecting nothing in return from us but in the hope that we might accept him and love him as he loves us. We can have no higher value than that.
Maybe the question we all should ask ourselves in whatever roles we perform in church life is simply for whom do I do this? Me? The church? The people in the church? Christ?
If as Peter tells us:
1Peter:2-9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Then all have a part to play, all are as Paul says, heir to the kingdom, co-heirs rather than heirs in some hierarchical scheme. different parts of the same body with different functions but all needed. It is all too easy to use models of leadership which are more authoritarian, verging on dictatorship and when not challenged, assume that everyone else is OK with that.
Jesus showed his disciples a different way of looking at church and our roles, he washed the disciples' feet as a demonstration of what he meant. And his response to being questioned about rank in the kingdom of God was even more astonishing, learn to be a servant. In effect serve others and you will be great in the kingdom.
All of us who follow Jesus, need to take this on board, no matter what role we have in church life we would do well to note Jesus words and perhaps couple them with the sacrificial love that Christ tells us of, so that what we do is then a joy and a delight. Why? maybe because then we will no longer do things to seek acclaim, a special place, a pedestal, in fact seeking nothing at all in return for serving Christ's church and people in whatever capacity he asks of us. We simply serve as Christ has asked us to.
Then notice, status and position will count for nothing, all and everything we do will be for Him who loved us enough to die for us, expecting nothing in return from us but in the hope that we might accept him and love him as he loves us. We can have no higher value than that.
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