attitude – Moment to Moment (Bible blog)

Our attitude in prayer

Please, Lord, remember how I have walked before you faithfully and wholeheartedly and have done what pleases you. (2 Kings 20:3)

This story apparently happened after Assyria started their attacks on Judah, but before Sennacherib besieged Jerusalem. (See 2 Kings 20:13 and compare with 18:14-16.)

What strikes me is the basis on which Hezekiah made his plea, and the basis on which God answered. Hezekiah made his plea based on his goodness and faithfulness.

But on what basis did God answer?

When God gave the reasons for granting Hezekiah’s request and for delivering Judah from Assyria, he said he would do these things “for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.” (16)

In short, God granted Hezekiah’s request, not because of Hezekiah’s goodness, but because of God’s glory, goodness, faithfulness, and grace.

He had made promises to David, and he was faithful to keep them.

And by healing Hezekiah and delivering Judah from Assyria, he showed his glory, goodness, and grace not only to Hezekiah, but to Judah and all the surrounding nations.

It made me think. On what basis do I come to God with my requests?

Am I appealing to my own goodness? Am I saying, “God, I deserve this”?

Or do I acknowledge, “Father, I deserve nothing from you. But I come to you because of your goodness, faithfulness, and grace to me.”

Do I lay my requests before him with that kind of heart?

If we come to God thinking we deserve things from him, it’s easy to fall into the trap of pride Hezekiah did. (2 Kings 20:12-19, 2 Chronicles 32:24-25).

“Of course, God answered my prayer. I deserve it. I deserve his blessings.”

Or if God says no, we get angry.

“Why didn’t you answer me? I deserve this!”

On what basis do you come to God in prayer?

On your goodness?

Or God’s glory, goodness, faithfulness, and grace?

Father, I deserve nothing from you. And yet, by your grace, you call me your child and tell me I can ask you for anything.

So Father, I humbly come before you and lay my requests before you.

Not because of my goodness. But because of your glory, goodness, faithfulness, and grace.

And I trust that however you answer, yes or no, you are good and your ways are best. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Our attitude in service

We all like a pat on the back. A “Well done” after we do something. But is that why we serve? For the praise of others? For the praise of God even?

Do we feel underappreciated when it doesn’t come? Or even upset?

Jesus gives a very interesting illustration here. He says,

Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’?

Would he not rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’?

Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do?

So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’ (Luke 17:7-10)

What is Jesus saying here? That God does not appreciate our efforts? That he won’t reward the work we’ve done?

No. From other passages we do see that he appreciates and rewards the work we do.

But I think there are a couple things to remember here.

First, as long as we are on this earth, there is always work to be done. There is no room to be resting on our laurels.

There’s even less room to be looking for those laurels.

Rather, we are to continue doing the things that God has called us to do.

Second, no matter what work we’re doing, no matter our position in the kingdom, we serve solely because of the grace of God.

We are unworthy to receive anything from God. Certainly, we’ve done nothing to earn our salvation.

But that God would use us despite our faults, our weaknesses, and our failures, can also only be seen as God’s grace.

More, God gave us the gifts and talents that allow us to serve. He gave us the strength and the wisdom. And if we’ve received all these things, do we really have any room for pride?

As Paul wrote,

For who makes you different from anyone else?

What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? (1 Corinthians 4:7)

So as long as we live, let us continue to do the things that God has called us to do. Humbly. Faithfully. And remembering that we do so solely because of his grace towards us.