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By Robbie Castleman,
InterVarsity® staff in Florida
Jay was tired, even
though the school year was still
young. The semester hadn't started off well at all. His housing
was unsettled until the last minute. Much-needed financial aid
was delayed in paperwork purgatory. His family was ambivalent
about his leaving for a school so far away. The town was new and
the local lingo was designed to remind him how unfamiliar his
life had become. Studies proved to be difficult and were made
more so by schedule delays and the unsympathetic system.
The only immediate comfort was the InterVarsity chapter on campus.
Jay eagerly embraced the opportunity to belong to the group. As
a leader, he worked hard for the chapter and for the Lord. But
six weeks into the semester Jay was ready to quit.
Pat was tired, too. She had served on the chapter leadership committee
for three years. As a freshman, she had been in a Bible study
and had been very active. At the end of the year Pat was invited
to join the chapter leadership team for the next year. The chapter
needed her. She had been faithful to her small group and had helped
out with a chapter fund raiser. Pat was considered a "must"
for the job.
Pat, however, did not feel spiritually ready to be a leader and
declined the offer. She had some questions about her faith that
she hadn't shared with anyone. She often felt guilty about past
sin. Her parents were considering a separation, and her 4.0 average
was threatened for the first time in her life. But there was so
much that needed to be done in the chapter and she was known to
be so organized. She was asked again to serve and Pat finally
agreed to help. Three years later Pat was resentful and burned
out.
Jay and Pat knew Matthew 11:28-30 by heart, but they had not experienced
the promise it contained for their daily lives. Come to me,
all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take
my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble
in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke
is easy and my load is light (NASB).
Jay and Pat could have led a Bible discussion on this passage,
but they had not found a light load in serving as leaders. Their
hearts were heavy; their souls felt weary. Why?
I Want You to Want Me
The enthusiasm generated by the prospect of meeting the needs
of others is quickly spent. Leadership that is built on feelings
of obligation to others -- or a group -- is almost always disappointing,
because of the measure of ingratitude from those served. Leaders
who center on a group's need and a their own ability to meet that
need are soon overworked and under-supported. They grow tired.
Heavy-laden. Weary.
Both Pat and Jay accepted leadership positions because they were
needed. They had skills, gifts, and experience to help the leadership
team on their campus. On first consideration, this can seem like
a worthy motivation for leadership. But if it is not the call
of Christ, then weariness, burnout, resentment and frustration
are the results.
None of us are immune from the desire to be needed. But we need
to be honest -- how would you fill in the blank in the passage
below?
"Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy-laden and
I will give you _______." From memory we could say, "Rest."
But from experience, we would honestly insert "training"
or "a new strategy" or "a little break" or
"more to do" or "good advice." Being needed
by others is not a wise motivation for leaders, but our misguided
perception that we are "needed by God" can create an
even greater burden! Many of us believe that God is out to build
his kingdom on our backs, to serve himself at our expense. God
is no taskmaster with a "to-do" list waiting to fill
up any spare moment in our lives. While few of us actually admit
we have this idea of God, we often function under such compulsion.
What God Is Really Like
This is easier for us to see in all the pleas we hear to "support
our ministry lest this program be lost." We're told that
the demise of a program would diminish the cause of Christ, delay
the advancement of the kingdom and deny others the chance to be
saved! This very tall pride actually testifies to a very small
and dependent God.
God is not dependent on the works of our hands. His kingdom is
bigger than our best intentions. Jay and Pat and all the weary
and heavy-laden believe, in deep-down and often unconfessed ways,
that they are indispensable to the cause of Christ and the group
that needs them. God needs us, we desperately believe.
But all of our great intentions to help God are not always his
idea. His agenda probably doesn't match ours. Think of King David.
In 2 Samuel 7, he expresses his desire to build God a house. Even
the prophet Nathan thought it was a good idea. But the Lord declined
David's well-intentioned plan. Instead, the Lord promised to build
the house of David! It was and is God's delight to be the Servant.
Scripture reminds the David in all of us that God "does not
dwell in temples made with hands; neither is he served by human
hands, as though he needed anything" (Paul to the Athenians,
in Acts 17:24-25). Isaiah declares, "Neither has the eye
seen a God besides thee, who acts in behalf of the one who waits
for him" (Isaiah 64:4b). The Son of Man came "not to
be served, but to serve" (Mark 10:45).
Who's Serving Whom?
All gods make claims to power, but our God claims to be the server,
not the served. Other gods demand human effort and put us to work.
The God we know in Jesus is no idol that drains us dry, weighs
us down and uses us up. No, he asks us instead to come, to learn,
to rest.
Jesus knelt at the dusty, weary feet of his disciples and washed
them. Jesus still kneels at our feet today. He offers to wash
the "souls" of our feet and to give us rest. Only then
are we called to "go and do likewise" (see John 13:1-15).
We serve in response to his service, not out of an obligation
to super-servanthood. The weary and heavy-laden among us are those
who are trying desperately hard to serve the One who did not come
to be served.
Have you ever heard people pray, "Lord, use me" or "Lord,
use us"? These are very common expressions in prayer. Naturally,
we want to indicate our willingness to enter into the kingdom's
work. But, "use me" is not at all what we would say
to anyone who loves us or to anyone we love. "Honey, use
me" is not a common household sentiment in most of our families.
In fact, "I was used!" can be a common complaint.
God does not "use" people; he blesses them. And God
does not need us to accomplish his purposes. Rather, he invites
us to join him in what he is already doing. Our leadership is
energized by watching him work. Leadership provides an opportunity
to know God's serving heart intimately. Then, as we lead others,
we see more and more of our need for his presence, wisdom, power
and work. Leaders get their feet washed by the Master! Who can
imagine a God like this? Our God works for us. He wants to pour
his life into us. Then we can be unwearied in pouring out his
life for others.
The Easy Yoke
Being served by God creates in us a servant's heart. When we share
the yoke of Christ we learn to be gentle and humble. Our notions
of personal success or failure in leadership become nonsense.
Freed from the heavy burden of desiring success or the weariness
of fearing failure, we find rest, take risks, and discover the
lightness of a true servant's heart. We can shed the resentment
and bitterness that comes from the ingratitude or unresponsiveness
of those we lead. We become willing and joyful servant-leaders.
Can this perspective make any real difference in our lives? Jay
has experienced a change of heart since he began to see leadership
as God's service to him. And Pat has learned to see herself as
God's dear child, not as God's indispensable worker. Both have
come to realize that God loves them for who they are, not what
they do. As leaders, Pat and Jay now want to serve others because
they know a God who serves them, teaches them and offers them
his rest. God's yoke is easy. His load is light.
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