Status and Role of a Christian in the World
There is a record in the Bible that the Lord Jesus and the disciples were going to Jerusalem. There was a person touched by Jesus teaching, and he wanted to follow the Lord. However, he would like to say good-bye to his family first. Jesus thought he was looking behind, and said, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:61).
When we read this passage, inevitably confused; before we start to follow the Lord, can we say farewell to our family? If not, It is too unreasonable! But I believe the Lord did not mean to this. Because Paul speaks very clear in the book of Timothy, the deacons must manage their own families well. So we can say with certainty that the Lord Jesus was not calling the disciples not to take care of their family. What does the Lord truly mean?
We often hear the preachers or pastors teach us that everything has to be prioritized. In the simple terms, it is God’s first, family second, church third Some people even said that God first, family second, career third, church fourth, and so on. Many preachers or pastors keep this priority.
I have heard, some pastors or elders, constantly doing loyal service in the church but ignored the family, and finally family becomes ruptured; or they kept ignoring their children growth, caused children to hate the church, and finally left the church.
So what priority should we set between God, family, and work?
Let’s talk about work first.
Where does the job come from? Work is God’s commandment, not the will of man, but God’s arrangement; God said that people do not work cannot eat. The work is not just from God, the work of God is entrusted to the creation of humanity. Can God do it himself? Of course, he can! But why did God give the work to us? It is because God has a hope in us, so that the work is entrusted to us not only assigned to us, but also God have some requirements for us. In the book of 2 Thessalonians 3:10: “For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” God asked each of us to work. Not only that, God himself made a demonstration for us. John 5:17: “But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” The God who created the universe, He is also working. Work is from him, work is his request, his work is entrusted to us, and himself demonstrated to us; So, as Christians, we must understand the work is from God. Then we should think about who we are working for?
From the Bible, we can see who we should work for. Colossians 3:17, 23: And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” Romans 12: 1–2": “I appeal to you, therefore, brothers,[a] by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.[b] 2 Do not be conformed to this world,[c] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what the will of God is, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Here we can see that work Is a way God makes us have a meaningful life; if there is no work, our life is meaningless.
I remember that in the history of the church, there was a brother named Lawrence, whose work was a chef, chopping vegetables, brushing the pot and cooking everyday. He wrote a book called “The Practice of the Presence of God.” Many people think that this book should be written by the monks in the seminary those who have nothing else to do except reading the Bible all the time, praying and approaching the Lord always. However, this book was written by a chef. He was busy every day in the kitchen, working very tired, doing things may not seem meaningful and valuable, but because this work is from God entrusted to him, and its meaning was different. The work itself has no value; the value is from whom you work for. If we work for God, no matter what work you do, a student, a driver, a president, taking care of a baby, being a housewife, work is valuable. When we work for God, the work itself has meaning, and our lives have meaning.
About family, I believe Christ is always the head of our families.
The uniqueness of the Christian family is we cannot ignore the “third party,” God. Therefore, when we are talking about a Christian family, the first thing we should talk about is the relationship between the family and God. When people dream of happiness in this world, we tend to ignore the God’s blessings in our lives. However, in the scriptures, there are so many blessings from God’s promises to bless those who obey his words. This makes us clear that the children of God should not only focus on the secular “happiness” such as money, health, happiness but should be more understanding the blessings from God in our lives.
To have a godly family, the relation of husband and wife is the key. For the relationship between husband and wife, Apostle Paul stated: “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.” (Ephesians 5:22–25)
Paul emphasizes that the love between Christians couples must follow the example of Christ and the Church. “ as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it,” which is also represent the relationship between husband and wife. Scripture specifically requires a husband to have “sacrificing love” to his wife, same as a wife should completely to comply to her husband. Wife obey her husband, sounds like unequal, but if a husband treats his wife with sacrificing love, that wife will more willingly to obey her husband. Sacrificing love is not a selfish love, but selfless, it is the completely comprehensive love.
Family education is not just teaching but more importantly is the physical demonstration. How Christian parents act or talk, is the first sample for Children to learn and imitate, whether good or bad, Children learn so quickly. This is more effective than any school’s education, and it is a subtle influence. Paul said, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother (this is the first commandment with a promise), that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” (Ephesians 6: 1 -3) Paul said “obey you parents in the Lord,” it tells parents they should obey the Lord. First, Christ should be the head of them; then they can introduce Jesus Christ to their children so that Children will have the wisdom of life.
Again, Jesus was not asking that young man to be pitiless, but Jesus was asking him to put the Lord first in his life. Our work, family, and God is not one a line but more like a circle. God in the center and all others are around him and for him. Today, it is hard to find our statuses and identify our roles, but as Christians, as the book mentioned, we have an ultimate goal to pursuit, so we are more likely to find out what is our priority. When we realize that God is the center of our life, our works will be meaningful, and our families will be blessed. Jesus said: “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world. Therefore the world hates you.” (John 15:19)
Peter said: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9) Our status is a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and our role are to proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.
