God Loves Cheerful Servants

      Barney is a teenager. On the outside his family looks great. All the kids are obedient. They dress well. They speak politely. They come home on time. They make good grades. They all go to the local church of Christ. Underneath the surface, however, Barney is miserable. He follows the rules to avoid punishment. He “goes to church” because his parents make him. He gives the right answers because he doesn’t want to be singled out. He cannot wait until he graduates and is free.

      Barney is too many Christians. For these, graduation is heaven. They are convinced heaven is worth their misery as they eke out a life under religious rules. But mostly they feel oppressed. They can’t wait for heaven, but sometimes they can’t fathom heaven will really be any better. They are just terrified of the alternative.

      Betty is a teenager. On the outside, she is the envy of all her peers. Her parents have no rules. She wears what she wants, eats what she wants, drinks what she wants. She goes where she wants, comes home when she wants or stays out if she wants. Her parents have parties at their home with drinking and sometimes even sex. They just want Betty to be happy. Love equals permission and happiness equals pleasure in Betty’s family. Underneath the surface, Betty is miserable. Without boundaries and rules, she has no compass. Because her parents don’t care what she does, she feels they don’t care period. She has many moments of pleasure, but no happiness. She has a good time with her parents but a terrible relationship. She is empty and lonely.

      Betty is too many Christians. For these, religion is about the here and now, doing the exciting in the moment, chasing the elusive ecstasy of a spiritual high. It is about taking the paths of least resistance before the permissive God who just tells us how much He loves us. It is not about the hard work of developing a real and meaningful relationship with God by learning what really pleases Him. These boast about their freedom because they despise oppressive rules. They often love to “go to church” because it makes them feel so good while they are there, if it is exciting and novel enough. But most of the time they are just as depressed as everyone else. They can’t wait for heaven; they are sure it is the ultimate spiritual high.

      These extremes are too common among Christians. II Corinthians 9:7 provides the path we need to follow. “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Though the passage is about giving, its principle applies to all of Christian service. We could reword it “Each one must serve as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves cheerful servants.” If we are Barney, only obeying because it’s the rule, we have no relationship with God and our rule following leaves us miserable. If we are Betty, only doing what makes us cheerful, we still have no relationship with God. Our attempts at happiness will leave us empty. Further, in both cases, heaven eludes us.

      If we learn to obey and serve God because we love Him and care about Him, we will find happiness in obedience and contentment in service. The storms may rage around us, but we will be safe, content and filled with joy, resting in the hands of God.

Edwin L. Crozier