I came across this phenomenal quote several weeks ago in The Way of the Wild Heart by John Eldredge. He quotes from 19th century poet and pastor George MacDonald who said, “As soon as [any] service is done for the honour and not for the service-sake, the doer is that moment outside the kingdom.” Whooaahhh! Read that one more time just for clarity’s sake. What he’s saying is the very moment we begin to serve or to speak or to give or to build, to encourage or— what we really like to do— correct, to offer our lofty and unlimited knowledge to the poor befuddled masses, in order to be recognized… seen as superior in knowledge, as kind or witty or wise or loving or giving, as soon as we seek to build our own personal empire of acolytes and accolades, we are outside the Kingdom of Christ. I.e., we’re laboring under the mighty weight of human effort with, as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:12, “wood, hay,” and "straw."
Wood, hay, and straw are readily available materials, easy to get ahold of, easy to find, easy to gather, and relatively simple to use. Very similar to what technology is to us today. Easy to operate to your own advantage. As soon as our service in the Cause of our King turns to what I can get out of this, or how I’ll be seen because of this, or who will notice me, my efforts, my ministry, my ingenuity, we’re outside the bounds in which the Spirit chooses to operate. We are, in effect, on our own. And an industrious man or woman can build much to their glory on their own out of wood, hay, and straw— occasionally even a masterpiece. The problem is it will never last. A little Time, a strong wind, a single match, and boom …it’s all gone.
Remember this: motive, the ‘why’ behind the ‘what,’ is the deepest level of holiness in our lives. It’s true. The one thing that won’t be weighed at the Bema of Christ, the Tribunal of Eternal Reward, is quantity. What will be weighed, “revealed with fire” to use the Apostle’s language, is the quality, the quality of how we labored on the foundation of Jesus Christ to build up, strengthen, and solidify the Body of the Lord. “The fire,” Paul say’s, “will test the quality of each man’s work,” v. 13b.
Did we labor in the Spirit or in the strength of self? Did we walk according to the Word or use clever devices and market management principles to build our micro-managed empires of tyranny and control? Did we listen for the Shepherd’s voice, the Spirit’s counsel, the Father’s guidance, or just come up with one idea after another and shout out, “This was God’s idea, not mine! This was the Holy Spirit’s doing” loud enough and long enough that no one questioned us? The only thing that will matter in the end is Abba’s work done in Abba’s way. It’s quality, my friends, not quantity, meaning how much of our hearts {and the hearts of others} was truly in this.
-- R ic Webb
Pastor-Teacher
Heart's Journey Community
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