It's Not About Them...

The date was set. The party was planned down to the minutest detail. The invitations were designed, hand cut and glued, and passed out to over twenty-five people. The theme was a lighthouse with fishing nets, sand, shells, and crabs.  The food was prepared to match the theme: chicken salad croissants that looked like crabs with olives on toothpicks for eyes, deviled eggs made into little fishing boats, and blue gelatin cups with Swedish fish and mandarin boats floating on top.  The games were designed and arranged to match the theme with junk in the trunk and life-saver rescue. Even the devotion from Scripture was about Peter, James, and John as they were the fishermen turned fishers of men. This was going to be the best party ever!

Four women came. Two were visitors from my street that I had personally invited (though I had passed out all the invitations). The other two women were from my church.  On the one hand I was so excited to have two new visitors; on the other, I was devastated that not even the church women found it important enough to come. Sadly, in the end, devastation beat the excitement.

You see, being in the ministry is a vocation that is different than any other. Most jobs are chosen just for the need for an income, money to live and pay the bills.  Other opportunities are sought because the skills that are required fit that person; “if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” Even a few occupations are about success and ambition, to move up the ladder of “success” in this world’s esteem.

But, serving the Lord is not about ambition, the income, or even the skills. It is about Him. In the last chapter of John, after three years of ministry with Christ, the crucifixion and resurrection, Peter went fishing; it was the vocation he knew best.  He toiled all night and caught nothing. In verse four But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore; but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. He told the fishermen to cast their nets to the other side, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. It was then that they knew it was the Lord.

On the shore, Jesus had prepared food for them of bread and fish; their get-together had been set. After a long night of fishing, that must have been some refreshment! But, the devotion was the most moving, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? Christ had given them a call, a job to do, to go to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and even the uttermost parts of the earth and share what they had seen and heard. The task seemed tremendous, daunting even. The motivation for it all, though, had to be clear.  It was about Him. Did they love Him?

If we serve the Lord for ourselves, we will be greatly disappointed.  Perfection can never be achieved in imperfect people. If we serve the Lord for others, we will be disillusioned and defeated because their decisions and responses to our invitations depend on their whim. But, if we serve the Lord for Him, we can never be defeated. No small service will be in vain.

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face; and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.” It’s not about them; it’s about Him. Do we love Him?

Written by Kathy Ashley, author of Vitamins for the Soul which can be purchased from the Sword of the Lord.

Simply Loving Him,