Always Faithful – Part Four
Galatians 5: 22, 23
Who are you? What do you consider yourself to be? Try this as an answer,
“Let a man so consider us as servants of God…” I Corinthians 4: 1.
The term translated “servants” was well known in the era of the writing. It was used to describe the people who rowed large ships. Those who remember the movie “Ben Hur” can never forget the rank of rowers in the ship. There were two deck levels of rowers. The term translated “servants” was the term used for those on the lower level. They were called the “under-rowers.” We are to be the under-rowers of our Lord. He is our captain, we His servants, under-rowers.
A servant lives to serve. Are you living to serve the Lord? Are you growing in your servitude? Don’t allow yourself to stagnate or become arrested in your spiritual growth.
We need to pray with the Psalmist “Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name, and deliver us” (Psalm 79:9). “For your name’s sake, lead me and guide me” (Psalm 31:3). Faithfully following Him as our guide is a sure path of joy to victory. The greater the faithfulness the greater joy.
In 1924 George Leigh Mallory and some other Englishmen set out to climb the world’s tallest mountain, Mount Everest. At the altitude of 25,000 feet they established a base camp. From there they started their assault on the summit and were never heard from again. To this day they lie buried on that Himalayan peak under tons of snow and ice.
The other members of the party returned from the base camp to London and related their story. One who did stood before a large picture of Mount Everest as he addressed an audience. Concluding his speech he turned to the picture and addressed it as though it had personality. “Everest,” he said, “we tried to conquer you once, but you overpowered us. We tried a second time but you were too much for us.” Then he said with great resolve: “But I want you to know we are going to conquer you, because you can’t grow any bigger and we can.” They did.
It is with this same resolve we face life. Our problems remain as large as ever, but we can grow and conquer them.
Perhaps you feel limited in the scope of your service to the Lord. Not so, therefore take this ancient saying as an expression of your resolve: “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.”
Awaiting the obedient servant/steward of our Lord is the fulfillment of His promise: “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2: 10). SEMPER FE!