Duty or Affirmation?

Good morning all,


Michael Card never ceases to provoke, nudge and flat out stomp on toes at times. As a brief reminder this book A Better Freedom: Finding Life as Slaves of Christ is Card's attempt to repaint our walk as disciples from simple discipleship and friendship to a relationship of slave to master. I ended up with this book by accident, but like many other "accidents" this has proven to be an incredible read as evidenced by the number of posts related to this book. This morning he has been exploring slavery related parables and he ends with a personal story about a dear departed friend who was always there for him and never expected or even wanted thanks. Card ends the chapter with these words:

"Servants don't stand around and wait for thanks or affirmation when they do their duty. Everything they do is a privilege when it is done for their Master." From A Better Freedom page 118

Wow, or should I say "OUCH!" How often do we serve in the church waiting for someone to acknowledge, praise or lavish us with thanks rather than simply being content to serve unnoticed but effectively? I remember walking through the living room one time when the kids were watching Maury Povich. There was a deadbeat dad on the program that was upset because no one praised him for getting a job and supporting his child. Maury, who I am not a big fan of but who impressed me that day, looks at him and simply asks, "Why do you expect praise for doing what you are supposed to do?"

Perhaps that is one of the problems the world faces today. We have lost all sense of duty and replaced it with a sense of entitlement. I deserve; you owe me; it is my right! Duty demands sacrifice without praise or acknowledgement. Duty demands doing things because it is the right thing to do and not because there is reward or affirmation at the end. Duty is a word that has been lost not only in the world, but perhaps also the church. How often do we think of discipleship as duty rather than something that ends in reward or makes us look good? How often do we think of discipleship as obedience, doing something simply because God told us to and for no other reason?

Card is right, when we begin to shift our understanding of discipleship to a slave to master relationship suddenly we cannot avoid issues of duty, obedience and sacrifice. When we recognize that we are slaves to the Master Jesus praise is no longer required, it is merely a privilege to serve. When we serve at church are we doing it out of duty to our Master or to accommodate our desire for praise and affirmation?

Your brother in Christ,
Faron