Just Doing My Job

GETTING STARTED

We have all watched a newscast covering a heroic act by a first responder, one that results in the saving of lives. The news anchor usually shows compelling video footage of the event and grateful eyewitness accounts, and then passionately describes the act of heroism. Then, the on-the-scene reporter interviews the hero. The reporter informs the person that people are referring to him or her as a hero. Then comes the part I love—the person almost always responds with, “I was just doing my job.” We all love that kind of attitude: “I am nothing special. I was just doing my job.”

  • What challenges do you face in keeping a servant’s attitude? 

READ THE WORD: LUKE 17:5-10 (ESV)

5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

7 “Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”

English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

DIGGING DEEPER

  1. If you asked Jesus to increase your faith and he gave the answer in verse 6 to you, what emotions would you think or feel?
  2. What are your thoughts on how the boss spoke to his employee? 
  3. What are your thoughts on how the servant responded?
  4. If you are not currently serving God, how can you start?
  5. Who is someone you can serve today, and how can you serve him or her?

RESPOND TO GOD

The apostles replied to what Jesus had said in verse 4 about forgiving people continually by crying,  “Increase our faith!” Since forgiveness and serving don’t come naturally to us, Jesus responded about the mustard seed to teach them they don’t need an increase of faith but rather a living, active faith that is powerful. In this passage, the boss was not being rude to his employee; he was only holding him accountable to his job. Serving Jesus isn’t a special task for certain Christians; it is what we should be doing. It is our job. We shouldn’t look for special recognition. Instead, we should simply say, “I was just doing my job.”

  • Ask the Lord for an active faith so you can glorify him by serving.