Okay, admit it. We
all like to complain. I am going to show my true age here. I remember going to
the Hudson’s department store with my mom. When she had to return something or
something was wrong she would go to the “Complaint Department.” Wow, an entire staff
dedicated to complaints! Have you ever noticed how the culture has changed? The
“Complaint Department” has been replaced with “Customer Service.”
What in the past,
was considered to be dealing with something that is wrong, has now become an
opportunity for making something right.
A complaint is an
expression that we are not happy with something, it’s telling someone else about
something that hurts or is bothering us. It's an opportunity to find fault with
something, or to make a claim that something is wrong.
But what if
something is right? Why are we so ready to tell others when something is wrong,
but keep quiet when things may be right. How does one express when we are happy
with something? Why don’t we tell others when things are going well, or when
one who has been going the wrong direction in life has returned to the right
path?
God has a purpose for our life. If that weren't true,
He'd have taken us home to heaven at the moment of salvation. Do you ever
wonder why He left us here? Some might complain that God does not have the
right plan for them and everything is wrong with God’s action. Others
might say, “Thank you Lord for the opportunity to serve.”
All of us who know Christ personally would say that He
has radically changed our lives. But we often limit these changes to what
Christ is doing IN us without allowing Him to work THROUGH us. To belong to
Christ, to be truly adopted into His family is to begin to care about what HE
cares about, to move outside ourselves and change the complaint into thanks, to
change what’s wrong into an opportunity for service.
Some people say they are saved, they know Jesus as
Savior, and they live a godly life. But look closely. Sometimes what we say and
what we do are not matching.
God wants us to influence others, not to satisfy our
complaints, but to give Him glory and honor. Our purpose is to be the person through
whom Christ overflows to others--touching those who hurt and desperately need a
Savior.
Once we are saved, Scripture teaches, our involvement is
threefold. First, we love others. Jesus clearly stated that this was one of the
two greatest commandments. Second, we share the good news of salvation. Some
travel across the world to spread the gospel, while others teach neighbors
across the street. The Holy Spirit will direct us to the right people if we are
willing to obey. Third, we serve in a variety of ways, like helping those in
need, sharing our resources, and lifting others in prayer.
Jesus is our
perfect example of all three. His entire life was marked by caring for
people--both those who loved Him and those who did not. In fact, the Bible
teaches that He humbled Himself and became like us, willing to give up His life
for our redemption. There is no greater love; there is no greater act of
service.
Scripture clearly defines the believer's purpose. God
wants us to understand His plan for us.
He wants us loving others, witnessing, and serving, not so we look good,
but because it is proof of HIS place of honor in our life. It proof of HIS
character. It is the opportunity for service. It is our chance to tell others
about what he’s done, FOR us, IN us, and THROUGH us.
In fact, we're still on earth not merely to hear more
teaching but to act on it and share with others what we learn. So in which
department are you? Are you in the complaint department, or are you in customer
service?
