I remember a time when we didn’t have a custodian on duty at the church I served on Sunday mornings. This meant that I had to make the coffee because I was one of the first to arrive at the church. I also swept up the leaves at the front door, which usually collected in between Sunday school and worship. Some church members even joked with me when they caught me sweeping those leaves, asking if I had been promoted! It was all good fun, enhancing the friendship and fellowship at the church. It also helped me maintain a balanced perspective and kept my spiritual feet on solid ground.
I love the highlighted verse from today’s psalm because it reminds us that the practice of humility in God’s service is far more precious to Him than any fame or fortune, power or prestige. Whatever we do for the church, we are meant to do it humbly, firstly because we love God and secondly because we want to simply help others, so that they may be attracted to serving God as well.
When we think about Christ coming among us, we may be humbled and touched by the simplicity of Christ’s entrance into the world. He didn’t come to Earth surrounded by thousands of angels and glorified by rulers from all over the world. He wasn’t born into a family esteemed with riches and made prosperous through their power. His first abode was a wooden shack, usually reserved for animals. His life was endangered almost immediately by King Herod, and his family became refugees for a while. Rather than being recognized as the King of kings and Lord of lords, He was just a mere baby, unprotected and vulnerable, with no power or authority.
This is why serving the Lord at church should never be something that we undertake in order to fulfill our ambitions or build up our esteem. We serve the Lord because we are His servants. He calls and expects us to humbly do His will. He wants us to fulfill His ministries and missions, as opposed to our own dreams and desires. In other words, what we do at church is not to glorify ourselves, but to humbly worship God.
Point to ponder: Whatever I do in church, is it to make me feel good or to glorify God’s goodness?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we proclaim You as our King, making us Your subjects. Help us to recognize and accept that we serve You, so that You will be honored and glorified. Give us the heart of a humble servant and encourage us to attract others to serve You faithfully, too. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
John
Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville,
Tennessee.
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