Paul's Example of Faithful Service ~ Part II

“We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry,  but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;  through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.”
~II Corinthians 5:3-10

​What did you learn from meditating and pondering this passage?  Did the Holy Spirit open your eyes to any new insights, truths, and revelations?  I’d love to hear them in the comments section! In the meantime, let’s take a closer look at these eight key attributes of a faithful servant of God.

​Purity.  We live in a culture that glamorizes debauchery, immorality, and all things impure.  So living a life of purity will stand out in sharp contrast to the world around us and show the world the beauty God intended.
 
Knowledge.  Christians should not be accused of being ignorant, but rather, we ought to have a solid understanding of our faith and be able to intelligently defend it before the attacks of others.  Yet on the other hand, we should not let knowledge puff us up or distract us from the true heart of the gospel.  Peter shows us the use of knowledge well in his first letter to the church:  “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect…”  (I Peter 3:15)
 

• Patience.  This is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) and therefore, a vital quality in the life of every believer.  You can never get enough patience!  And the world recognizes people filled with seemingly unending patience and wonders How? and Why?
•  ​Kindness.  Everyone appreciates a little kindness, but few make the time or effort to give it.  As born again believers, kindness should be a natural byproduct of the abundant grace we have received.  So let us not be stingy with kindness, but let us share it liberally with those around us.
•  The Holy Spirit.  It’s the mark of our faith, the evidence that God is at work, and the guarantee of our hope.  Therefore, the Holy Spirit should be extremely evident and prominent in our lives.  It should direct our thoughts, actions, words, and conversations.  Those looking at our lives should be able to see its life changing work.
•  Genuine love.  Not just the I like you, you make me feel good, you’re-easy-to-be-around type of love.  Real, genuine, agape, unconditional love that loves even when hurt or wronged.  A love that is willing to lay down its life for its enemy.  A love that resembles Christ’s unfathomable love for us.  The world is hungry and searching for genuine love.  So, let’s give it to them.
•  Truthful speech.  Do we flatter?  Or do we speak the truth even when people don’t want to hear it?  Is honesty our goal and aim?  Satan is a deceiver and a twister of words and meanings and this is his world, his domain.  So it is no wonder that our world and culture is full of dishonesty, flattery, and blatant lies.  Whether it’s what’s taught (or not taught) in schools or the inflation and exaggeration of news in the media, falsehood and deception is all around us.  But if truthful speech and honesty is constant in our lives, we will not only stand out in stark contrast but we will also point people to the truth.
•  The power of God.  There’s a really popular contemporary Christian song out there that simply repeats two phrases, “There is power in the name of Jesus to break every chain, break every chain, break every chain.”  This may sound simplistic and boring, but it’s a powerful song because it rings with truth.  For there is power in the name of Jesus to break every chain—chains of addiction, moral failure, anger, and all other sins.  The power of God can do the impossible.  But the question is, is the power of God evident in our lives?  Have our lives been completely changed from the inside out?  Is sin no longer our master?  Are we able to do seemingly impossible things for the kingdom of God?  While you may feel that you’ll never be a Paul or Peter who conquered the world with the gospel, the power of God should still be evident on some level in your life.  There should be something that makes people watching you see that something is happening within you and that you’re being radically changed. 

 
We’ve finally gone through the eight attributes that spoke to me.  This is quite the list, but it’s not even a third of the qualities Paul mentions, and his list was not nearly complete or exhaustive!  So, the way in which to sum up the way an ambassador of God should act is “commendable in every way.”  That’s a high standard to meet and a lofty goal.  But by the grace and power of God, we can do it if we just yield our lives and walk in faithful obedience.  So let’s strive and purpose to become faithful servants of God who live above reproach and are commendable in every way.  For that is our high calling.