Are Our Hearts Really In This?

I came across this quote a couple of years ago from 19th century Scottish author and pastor George MacDonald who said, “As soon as [any] service is done for the honour and not for the service-sake, the doer is that moment outside the kingdom.” He’s what? Read that again just for clarity’s sake. MacDonald is saying the very moment we begin to serve or to speak or to give or to build, to offer our lofty and unlimited knowledge to the poor befuddled masses, in order to be recognized, seen as superior-- as ‘better than’ those around us-- as soon as we seek to build our own personal empire of acolytes and accolades, we are outside the Kingdom of Christ.

Another way of looking at this is we’re laboring under the mighty weight of human effort with {as Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 3:12} “wood, hay,” and “straw.” Wood, hay, and straw are readily available materials. They’e easy to get ahold of, easy to find, easy to gather, and relatively simple to use. Very similar to what technology is to us today: easy to operate to your own advantage. As soon as our service in the Cause of our King turns to what I can get out of this, or how I’ll be seen because of this, or who will notice me, my ministry, my efforts and ingenuity, we’re outside the bounds in which the Spirit chooses to operate. We are, in effect, on our own. And an industrious man or woman can build much to their glory on their own— occasionally even a masterpiece. The problem is: it will never last. A little Time, a strong wind, a single match ...and boom, it’s all gone.

Remember how I’ve told you that motive is the deepest level of holiness in our lives? It’s true. The one thing that won’t be weighed at the Tribunal of Eternal Reward is quantity. What will be weighed, “revealed with fire” to use the Apostle’s language once again, is the quality, the quality of how we labored on the foundation of Jesus the Messiah to build up, strengthen, and solidify His Body. “The fire,” Paul say’s, “will test the quality of each man’s work” {v. 13b}.

Did we labor in the Spirit or in the strength of self? Did we walk according to the Word or use clever devices to build our micro-managed empires? Did we listen for voice of the Good Shepherd, or just come up with one hare-brained idea after another and shout, “This was God’s idea, not mine!” so loud and so long enough that eventually no one questioned us? The only thing that will matter in the end is Abba’s work done in Abba’s way. It’s quality, my friends, not quantity, meaning how much of our hearts, and the hearts of others, were truly in this.

Ric Webb, Shepherd
Heart's Journey Community
hjcommunity.org