Servants and Patrons V

For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.

 - From Mark 7

We discuss more, the behaviors, or attitudes of servants here. There are many reasons why the world dishonors the idea of serving. The first is that servants don't make much money. 

As a well-paid pastor told me once, when I asked why my experience (as a local elected official and corporate manager) did not yield appointments to church boards and committees: 

"Because, Gordon, you don't appear to have had any success." He was talking about the outward appearances, the trappings of being "successful." I didn't have a new car. Didn't disappear into town at 7AM every morning and return after dark, my tie loosened. I didn't own a big home.

A Christian counselor . . . a licensed psychologist. . . once started to ask me, when I mentioned working with kids to put on music performances in the community "Where do you get the time to . . . ?!" . . . . But then he stopped himself. He probably realized how that sounded. 

But real servants do more than that. They aren't just of modest income. If they are humble, and have earned esteem by helping others, they should be ruining their image by modeling certain behaviors, and advocating for them. On the one hand, people appreciate the good things servants do. On the other, they think poorly of them because they are not rich. On the one hand, people understand that humility, expressed in good deeds to others, is a virtue. But on the other hand, they despise the mirror that good people hold up to them, through words and deeds, that exposes their own sinful state. Let's look at Christ's list of the things that come out of the heart, that defile us. But let's rephrase, or expound a little.

Sexual impurity. Sorry, but yes, there it is. And yes, it is first on the list. Of course we are born with desires and drives. Yes, it is in our DNA. Yes, we can't help it. And yes, Christ made it something we must master, by establishing boundaries around it that are . . . yes . . . very challenging to many of us. But it yields the patience and selflessness that is required of the servant of God. 

Stealing. And I think it is referring even to little things . . . like taking some paper clips home, from work, that you know you will need. And yes . . . we all do this. But let's not pretend that stealing doesn't have a perfect standard to be measured against, like all vices.

Killing others. And let's remember that Christ considered hate towards others to be the same as murder. People go on record all the time, on Social Media, asserting that they despise this person, or hate that individual. Doesn't matter if they're famous. Doesn't matter if they're Hitler. Don't murder. Don't hate.

Marriage, divorce, pre-marital relations, extra-marital relations. Yep. Life is complex in our times. But the perfect standard is there. And our rapidly fraying culture may have it's roots in the weakening of the ties that have bound families together for eons. Yes, you deserve to be happy. So do the people whose values and purpose fly out the window when they can no longer count on you. 

Greed. How many times have you heard a person that, out of one side of their mouth, complains about the wealthy . . . but out of the other, boasts about the six-figure income he will earn once he gets this degree from that university?

Wickedness. This seems like a sort-of "catch-all," doesn't it? We can get some consensus on this one. Nobody wants to be "wicked." They may violate all of the above, but as long as they're not "wicked," then they must be okay. It's a case of "It's hard to define it, but I know it when I see it." Even Hitler didn't want to be "wicked." But here's the problem: I'll bet almost any person that goes around pointing out people that are "wicked," has his or her own opponents that consider him "wicked". Yes . . . eventually, even the best person is called "wicked" by somebody. So if you are concerned about rooting out wickedness, start by finding out the ways in which someone labels you that way, and change. 

Deceit. Just look at the typical job interview. Or dating screening process. Or sales pitch.

Lack of self-control. So far, every third or fourth item in this list is related to sexual purity, and what we would call "traditional values." But look at it this way: how many of society's most crushing current problems would fade away, if we had a generally-accepted, practiced, and encouraged emphasis on self-control, most notably practiced in one's sexuality?

Envy. Really, all of your needs are provided. You don't need an expensive vacation. Enjoy the people you are with now. Appreciate the setting in which you find yourself, now. 

Slander. Yes, don't do it. Even if your target is a national political figure. 

Pride. Maybe this word, and concept is being overused today? Servants do not draw attention to themselves. 

Foolish Behavior. Let's face it. In our times, anybody can act as foolish as they want, and find an approving audience. 100 Likes is easy, with the entire world connected. But someone will object: "Don't we all have our own definition of 'foolish'? Why can't I just be myself?" Well, here's the problem: People acting foolishly are not trying to be fools. They're trying to be noticed, to stand out. But, a real servant affirms these people long before they start acting out on some global platform. We may not recognize right away, which of our behaviors would be "foolish." We need to trust someone, like one of our elders, that can tell us "No, you do not want to do that." Servants avoid acting foolishly. They have enough behaviors and attitudes to defend, without adding something superficial to it. 

Okay, so that's it. This list should make everyone realize that we all have missed the mark. If you're not perfect, then welcome to the club. The list of things that defile us, or draw us away from God, is rather large, and it's rather universal. We all fall short. 

As Dwight Carpenter once added, in a sermon: "There! Have I missed anybody?"

But one of the most humble and risky things a servant can do, is to uphold this list. And since none of us is going to come out perfect, we need servants, at least, to articulate the perfect standard. That's what a standard is. That's the point. It's not that we're judgmental if we talk about perfection. It's that we should be humble and bold enough to talk about the standards, anyway. And then keep moving gradually closer to those high goals. 

And as for the rest of us, that do not aspire to be servants . . . let's see if we can encourage those people that do talk about purity and godliness, and even more so, they that strive so to practice.