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On Mission to Apply the Truth of God’s Word to Life

The Secret to Effectiveness in God's Kingdom

What makes someone effective in serving the Lord? Is it natural ability? Is it people skills? Is it notoriety or charisma? You might think so given the way Christians today celebrate various high profile leaders. Many great Christian leaders might possess those skills but none of those traits guarantee usefulness in God’s kingdom. One trait is indispensable if you desire to be used greatly by the Lord.

Almost in passing Paul mentions this virtue in Philippians as he talks about his faithful protege, Timothy, and what made him so useful in the ministry: “They all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 2:21). According to Scripture, the surest way to guarantee my uselessness to the kingdom of God is to focus on my own interests. Ouch.

Scripture links great usefulness in God’s kingdom to singular focus on Jesus Christ. Each day I have a choice as to what interests I will serve. Will I seek my own interests? Or will I seek the interests of Jesus Christ? Paul is speaking about this in the context of Christians who are active in ministry. Outwardly all of these people would appear to be seeking Jesus. Yet, Paul evaluates them as serving their own interests. How can this be?

Seeking the interests of Jesus Christ involves more than what we do. It involves both why we do what we do and how we do it. First, let’s talk about the how. If we are seeking the interests of Christ, there is a genuineness to our activity for the Lord. Unfortunately, in Christian circles it is possible to be fake. We can fake concern. We can fake interest in others. We can go through the motions with the best of them. To seek the interests of Jesus Christ involves genuine concern to glorify God in all that we do: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23).

Seeking the interests of Jesus Christ also involves our motivation. Why we do what we do matters. It is possible to serve the Lord out of a desire for affirmation from others. Ministry provides many avenues for recognition and praise, whether you serve on a platform or behind the scenes. In some cases ministry provides an avenue for personal advancement. It becomes a “platform” for us to seek our own interests. This is nothing new, Paul saw the same thing in the first century: “Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will” (Philippians 1:15).

The secret to seeking Christ goes back to Philippians 2:5-8:

“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

Each day is an opportunity to reset and reprogram our commitment to the Lord. Each day is an opportunity to humble ourselves and resolve to serve the interests of Jesus Christ by obeying Him above all.

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