2003-02-25 - Sneeze Theology

Luke 17:10 "So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.'"

There are lots of ways to view our relationship and service to Christ in our lives. I would like to suggest that our service to Christ is a reaction to the grace He has given us and is simply part of our lives that should come natural in thanks for the mercy that Christ has given us. I am calling it sneeze theology because I want to emphasize that our service to Christ in all areas of our lives should come natural and be as uncontrollable as a sneeze. Sounds dumb, but if you can grasp the concept, in the end, I do think it is helpful.

It is hard to think of our relationship with the Lord as one that is Master/servant, but it is equally hard to read Luke 17:1-10 and not view it that way. It is difficult to think of ourselves as unworthy slaves. We have a tendency to view ourselves and our service to Christ as something that is meritorious. However, it is simply a response to what Christ has done for us and is a reaction that I am comparing today to a sneeze. Our service to Christ should be a natural outcome of His mercy towards us. It should be uncontrollable, just as a sneeze is.

If you read the Old Testament you will find that the fire never went out on the alter. So should it be with the fire of our service to Christ in our lives. We ought to be diligent and constant in our service to Christ. We should expect nothing in response from the Lord for our response, it is simply that we are doing exactly what we should be doing. There is no need for us to get rewarded for doing what we should be doing. The fire in our hearts must not go out. We must seek ways to kindle it and help it to grow. The mercy of Christ is so life changing that we must look to share it and give back in service to Christ. As I am calling it today, it should be like a sneeze.

Don't let the fire go out in your service towards Christ. Hold on, hang in there, and seek to find ways that the Lord has given you opportunity to serve Him. We all have various means that God has given us to serve Him. It is up to us to seek where God has given us the best opportunities to serve His Kingdom. Each of us has unique angles and aspects that we can work within to serve Christ and I hope that we all look to serve the Lord in our various areas where the Lord has given us opportunity. There are many things we do in this life that have no eternal significance, but equally true, is that everything that is done for Christ has eternal ramifications and will last. Let us seek to focus there.

Soli Deo Gloria,
T-

tim@cfdevotionals.org
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