February 5, 2019
Just Do It
Arlene Pellicane
Today’s Truth
Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat?’ Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper…’ So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty’ (Luke 17:7-8, 10, NIV).
Friend to Friend
It was a battle about feet.
I told my young daughter she needed to wash her feet in the bathtub. She moaned. She groaned. She complained.
I explained this was a reasonable request that would take two minutes. You would have thought I asked her to clean the entire house from top to bottom.
A few days later to my utter surprise, she didn’t complain at all about washing her feet. Instead she just went into the bathroom, turned on the water, and dunked her feet in.
I exclaimed, “Way to go! You obeyed me right away without complaining!”
I was happy to praise my daughter for her improved attitude and behavior, but when you think about it, she was simply doing her duty. It really wasn’t that extraordinary. A few generations ago, I doubt a mother would have been surprised or delighted by a child who followed instructions to get washed up. She would have expected nothing less.
We live in a society where children are overly praised for doing their duties. Wow, they cleaned their own plates! Wow, they went to bed when asked! Wow, they said thank you to the server!
As adults, we can have this same attitude. We can expect acknowledgment, praise, accolades and awards simply for doing our duties. Our key verse paints the picture of a normal day in the life of a servant and master. Servants are expected to do the will of their masters or employers. Their work isn’t a favor; it’s a required service. So, if a servant has been working all day tending the sheep, and he comes in around dinnertime, he doesn’t just plop down to rest. His master tells him to make some dinner.
Doesn’t that making dinner part sound familiar?
Luke 17:8-10 says about the master, “Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So, you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
Jesus is clarifying our roles. We are the servants and He is the master, not the other way around. When I obey God, I can feel puffed up and proud. I can imagine earning a “Christian Excellence Badge” for inviting a friend to church or making a meal for my family after a long day. But the truth is, I am just doing my duty as God’s servant. The servant of God seeks to obey God’s commands without question and without bargaining for a reward.
Oh, to be this kind of servant!
Friends, when God asks us to do something, let’s just do it. No complaining. No fits. No whining. May we joyfully serve Jesus. He’s a master who’s given us His all.
Let’s Pray
Dear Jesus, You are my master and I am Your servant. Today I will serve You with joy, not with complaining or excuses. Help me recognize what my duties are as a child of God and embrace these responsibilities. Forgive me for complaining and help me to see what a blessing serving others can be in my life.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
If you are completely honest, do you see God existing to serve you and meet your needs, or do you see yourself existing to serve God?
Reflect on what it means in your daily life for God to be the master and for you to be the servant.
More from the Girlfriends
If you are married, you have probably figured out that being a good wife includes both delighting in your marriage and doing the right thing even when you don’t feel like it. Arlene’s book 31 Days to a Happy Husband will help you rediscover that delight and romance again with your man.
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