“For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed — God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children.” 1 Thess. 2:3-7
Devotional Thought For The Day
The apostles of Christ, humanly speaking, had incredibly solid grounds to make demands, to seize great authority, and even to be enriched by the blessedness they brought to others. They should have been elevated to great worldly glory and certainly honored most highly within the church. However, had they sought these things it would almost certainly have perverted and corrupted their ministry. The humility, simplicity, and integrity of their service to God was a powerful witness that they did indeed come from God and were approved by God. Such men are not popular – they do not seek to “please” man, and refuse to engage in the kind of flattery that so many people demand. In consequence, they remained in poverty [and often contempt, even within the visible church] and understood that they were mere servants of God [and of His church], and therefore they remained gentle, mild, and affable in their loving service, seeking only the nurture and blessedness of these first believers, God’s dear children of faith.
Thankfully, they have provided the proper and loving model for all who seek to serve the church today, and for all within the church. First, that we retain a keen understanding that God is witness to all that we do, and His approval is all that really matters. Therefore our work, our words, our service, and our appeal can have no error, impurity, or deception – and we had better be certain about this, for we answer to God. Second, that all that we do be out of love – which does not seek its own, is not self-seeking. The point of ministry is not to gain glory – wealth, stature, privilege or prerogative – but rather to serve, to serve God by serving the health and vitality of people [and not merely pleasing them]. Therefore Christian ministry and service is always humbling and personally diminishing. Lastly, that regardless of our experiences, how we are treated, we are to remain gentle and affable – seeking only the nurture and blessedness of God’s dearly loved people of faith. There can be no genuine ministry to God’s people where there is anger, malice, rude behavior, contentiousness, and lack of civility – for “the wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God.” [James 1:20]
Of course, our sinful nature runs just the opposite of all of this, and so there is a constant inner struggle to grow in this integrity and genuine love. Our motives are often mixed, so there is need for constant scrutiny, appropriate repentance, and prayer to God to heal us through His love, to make us fit servants of His church. Likewise, our sinful nature compels us to despise anyone that fits Paul’s description of the “apostles of Christ” – anyone who does not command and coerce respect and deference from others, and who has not found a way to amass wealth and wield power. So we must be vigilant in not allowing our sinful nature to compel disrespect and disregard for God’s servants – He is also watching us and will hold us accountable for how we value and treat His servants. So we might want to humble ourselves before Him in repentance, and plead with Him for forgiveness for the shameful attitudes that often dominate our thinking about His servants in the church. Gentleness and affability, kindness and compassion, should be the chief characteristic of all who truly know and believe the love that God has for us in Christ Jesus – especially toward fellow believers and those who minister the grace of God to us by teaching the Word.
It is remarkable how the devil can make perversions seem so reasonable and proper – and how these distortions can become the acceptable and expected pattern. It is also remarkable how repugnant the ways of love are to our sinful nature. Through repentance and the experience of God’s gracious forgiveness and love, we are able to look at Jesus, the very Son of God, and see the nobility and beauty of walking in love. He is the pattern followed by the apostles – and we should aspire to nothing less, regardless of the cost and the pain to our sinful nature. God grant us grace to properly see, understand, and embrace such gentleness and love.
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, we are born children of this world, and we find it reasonable and easy to continue this pattern of life even within Your church. Forgive us, and teach us the ways of love – that we grow in repentance and faith, and embrace the challenging path of real love and service. Grant this grace to all of Your dear children of faith, and especially to those who serve as ministers of Your Word. Amen.