A servant of God . . . to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness. (Titus 1:1)
I loved to sing in front of an audience when I was in high school. Perhaps what I especially liked was the flow of adrenaline I felt when standing before a large gathering. Therefore, when I received the call to preach I thought, “This is great! I get to be in front of people!” However, this attitude of wanting to be visible changed when someone explained to me what it means to be a servant of God.
During New Testament times, the coordinated rowing of slaves caused massive Roman and Phoenician ships to glide smoothly through the waters. However, the slaves who powered these ships were not readily visible to the public eye. To see them, one had to step inside the ship and go way down into its bowels. Once there, one would observe that the slaves were surrounded by darkness and dampness, chained together, tediously rowing hour after hour and day after day. The Greek word doulos can be used to describe one who is an “under-rower”—one who works hard without being seen.
True servants of God are those who are willing to serve, doing whatever is asked of them, whether the task is big or small, without feeling the need to be seen and have the applause of others. Instead, their desire is to please God.
Seek to please God rather than to impress other people.
Jim “Umf” Lo is a professor at Indiana Wesleyan University, cross-cultural leader, intercessor, and author of several books including Unholiness: Overcoming the Forces That Attack Your Soul (WPH).
© 2019 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission.
