It is not for our own glory that faithful service is so clearly prescribed throughout Scripture.

It is for the glory of God and God alone. Our God has given us the incredible honor of being His stewards to carry out the work of Jesus Christ through faithful service—in our neighborhoods, across the nation we live in, and around the world.

It is, in fact, the very substance of the Great Commission which tells us that we are to transmit the gospel to others, not only in our confession of Christ but by displaying in our lives a daily example of Christ’s love.

Think about it. When Jesus sent out that first group of wide-eyed and uncertain rustics on their first missionary adventure, don’t you know they were terrified?

Can’t you just imagine what they must have been thinking?

“What?” Peter must have fairly shouted.

Who, me, Lord? You want me to go into the villages and towns and do what you have been doing? Jesus, you’ve got to be kidding!

But that is precisely what Jesus wanted. Furthermore, He admonished those uncertain, quivering disciples to be “shrewd as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16).

In other words, they were to anticipate that they would not be treated well everywhere they went.

In some places, they were told, people would toss them out on their ears; but they were supposed to go anyway, trusting that God would supply all their needs.

They were to teach with love and mercy—to be harmless as doves, to be examples of peace.

Are you that way when you preach?

—Chuck