I'll never forget the time
when, as I met with a head of government in a foreign
nation, he looked me straight in the eyes and said, "I
just don't understand many of the Christians I've met.
To me, they seem to be some of the laziest people I've
ever known in my life. I'm amazed that anyone would be
satisfied to live with such low standards. Is this the
way all Christians are?"
I was so embarrassed when I heard those words. I found
myself wanting to apologize for the entire Christian
community! But the truth is, I personally knew some of
the Christians he was referring to - and I had thought
the very same thing on many occasions! These people
didn't seem to have enough gumption to get up and do
something with their lives. It wasn't that they
weren't talented, gifted, and knowledgeable. They were
just satisfied with the level they had attained and
had no desire to show any professionalism with their
lives.
Honestly, it's a mystery to me how anyone can claim to
be a Christian indwelt by the Spirit of God and yet be
satisfied with such a low-level existence. Of course,
I am very aware that many people weren't raised with
the same high standard of excellence that my parents
taught me. Perhaps some Christians grew up in an
environment where low-level thinking was viewed as
normal, and that's why they have accepted such a low
standard for their own lives. However, other
low-achievers can't claim a mediocre upbringing as an
excuse. They just don't take advantage of
opportunities to learn, adapt, and better themselves
and therefore never experience needed change. This is
usually a sign that these people have no inner desire
to improve their lives.
You may send such individuals to school to educate
them; you may even pay for them to fly halfway around
the world to learn new and better techniques in their
field of expertise. But if they don't possess the
inner drive to improve themselves and to become more
professional, it doesn't matter how much time or money
you throw at them. It's all a waste unless they
possess the desire to be diligent.
Such low-level standards should never be
tolerated by a believer, a pastor, an employer, or an
employee. Yet too often believers make excuses for
their slothful attitudes and allow them to continue.
As a result, the world frequently looks at the Church
as a pathetic entity made up of a bunch of nincompoops
who aren't serious about what they do or say.
I am certain that Paul's experience with low-achievers
in the Church is one of the reasons he wrote the
believers in Rome and told them to be "not slothful in
business." The word "slothful" is the Greek word okneros,
a word that means lazy or idle. It
carries the idea of a person who has a do-nothing,
lethargic, lackadaisical, apathetic, indifferent,
lukewarm attitude toward life. I find it very
interesting that this word translated "slothful" is
the identical Greek word used in Matthew 25:26 when
Jesus tells of the "wicked" servant who was thrown
into outer darkness because he produced nothing
significant with the resources that had been entrusted
to him. In these contexts, both "slothful" and
"wicked" denote an attitude of apathy that should have
no place at all in the life of a Christian.
But Paul goes on to say that we are not to be slothful
"in business." The word "business" is the Greek word spoudadzo,
and it means to do something with eagerness or
to do something with diligence. It is the idea
of acting responsibly, quickly, and with
attentiveness. You could say that the word
spoudadzo ("diligence") is exactly the opposite of a
person who lazily strolls along with no passion or
desire. Instead of being lazy and apathetic, a
diligent person is excited and energetic, putting his
whole heart into the project that has been given to
him. He treats his responsibility as if it is
important, and as a result of his excellent attitude,
he does his job well.
Paul also says that we should be "fervent in spirit."
The word "fervent" is the Greek word zeo,
which originally meant to boil. This is the
picture of a person so enthusiastic about his task
that he can hardly contain his excitement. The desire
to do his job with excellence and enthusiasm is constantly
boiling inside the person who is diligent about
his assignment. In fact, the Greek tense used here
would be better translated, "Be constantly fervent
in spirit." The word "spirit" does not refer to
the Holy Spirit, but to the attitude of this believer.
It means, "Be constantly fervent in your attitude."
Then Paul takes it another step by saying that we are
to be "fervent in spirit; serving the Lord." It is
very plain what Paul is declaring here: A right
attitude is one of the most effective ways for a
person to serve the Lord. You see, when a
believer does his job right and with an awesome
attitude, it is a testimony to the name of Jesus. But
when a believer does his work shabbily, he projects a
sorry image of who Jesus is. This is exactly what
happened in the case of that foreign head of
government who asked me if all Christians were as
mediocre as the ones he had encountered.
Paul uses the Greek word douleuo when he
writes about "serving" the Lord. This word comes from
the Greek word doulos, which means a
servant who does the bidding of his master. The
word doulos described a servant who was sold
out, lock, stock, and barrel - totally committed to
serving and pleasing his master. As a good servant, he
would do his best to discover his master's desires and
then explicitly do whatever was needed to fulfill
those desires.
By using this word in this context, it is almost as if
Paul is saying, "If you really want to please the
Lord and be a servant that brings Him satisfaction,
then do these things." What things bring
pleasure to the heart of Jesus? Let me repeat the
qualities we've already discussed: having an attitude
of excellence; doing your job with seriousness and
responsibility; and being consistently fervent,
committed, and enthusiastic in your attitude. When a
believer steadfastly demonstrates these attributes in
his life, he becomes a servant who truly brings
satisfaction to the heart of Jesus Christ.
Don't misunderstand what I am saying. Your salvation
is a free gift of God's grace, and nothing you do can
buy you a special standing with Him. Nevertheless, how
you serve God and the testimony that your life
demonstrates to the world is very important to Jesus
Christ.
So I urge you to take an honest look at yourself
today. Ask yourself, When people look at my life,
do they come away with a positive idea of what a
Christian is like, or does my example leave people
unimpressed with Jesus Christ? Then ask the Lord
to show you any changes you need to make so you can
move on up to a higher level of excellence in God |