Christians and Public Service (4)

So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority. Genesis 39.4

And in all matters of wisdom andunderstanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians andastrologers who were in all his realm. Daniel 1.20

Joseph and excellence
Christians who enter the arena of public service must determine that, whatever they are called upon to do, they will do it with all the excellence they can achieve, without sinning against the Lord.

We see this in Joseph, who was faithful, diligent, and reliable as a servant in Potiphar’s house, so that the Egyptian official felt no qualms about putting everything under his authority.

Joseph continued to demonstrate excellence as he served in the prison. We read of him that “And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper” (Gen. 39.22, 23).

That same degree of excellence vaulted him into Pharaoh’s chariot, bearing full authority to lead and manage the nation through a period of desperate drought and famine.

Daniel and excellence
We see the same in Daniel and his three companions.

Given a period of preparation for service in Nebuchadnezzar’s court, they made the most of it. When examined at the end of the period, they were already heads and shoulders above all the other court servants in the task for which they had been prepared.

Daniel demonstrated a similar devotion to excellence throughout his career in the courts of Babylon and Persia. This put him on a course of continual advancement and growing influence. We read that “Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm” (Dan. 6.3).

Opportunities for glory
When we are serving the Lord, whatever we are doing, even the most mundane and ordinary task presents an opportunity to display something of the goodness, wisdom, grace, truth, kindness, compassion, justice, and mercy of the Lord.

Christians are called to glorify God in all our everyday activities (1 Cor. 10.31); presumably, this would mean that any routine task we might undertake in serving the public good, whether as volunteers or in paid positions, can be an arena for demonstrating the excellence of God.

How can we do this? What can we learn from Joseph and Daniel about such excellence, and how we may show it?

First, we must be careful always to seek the will and favor of the Lord, as both Joseph and Daniel did. We may not be able to interpret dreams, as these men did, but we can seek the Lord for wisdom to serve in ways relevant to the needs and opportunities that will arise before us each day (Jms. 1.5-8).

It’s important to be up front about our faith and our convictions, so that those who would employ or engage us in public service know from the beginning that we are devoted to doing good, as Jesus did, and that we should not be expected to do anything other than what comports with the character and purposes of God.

And we must seek the Lord daily for wisdom, strength, and joy in serving Him in all our duties.

Then we must take up every task with relish, preparing diligently, learning all we can, establishing good working relationships with the people around us, presenting ourselves as their servants and colleagues, and doing everything without grumbling or complaining.

Let Christians who enter into public service understand their duties thoroughly and always go the extra mile in fulfilling them. Let our conversation be always edifying and gracious, our demeanor always above reproach, and our efficiency and effectiveness of the highest order in everything we do. Such excellence in all things will not go unnoticed.

The believer who enters into public service establishes a beachhead for the Kingdom of God in whatever capacity he or she becomes engaged. From our presence on that beachhead – in our cubicle, at our phone bank, as we fulfill whatever may be our daily tasks – we seek to radiate the righteousness, peace, and joy of the presence of God’s Spirit (Rom. 14.17, 18), so that we may honor the Lord with our labors and bring His presence and blessings into our work on behalf of the common weal.

For reflection
1.      Define “excellence.” Why should Christians always seek excellence, whatever their field of endeavor?

2.      Meditate on 1 Corinthians 10.31. What are some examples of “everyday” tasks that people in public service have to perform? Do you agree that these can be means of bringing glory to God?

3.      From 1 Corinthians 10.31-11.1, compile a list of the things Paul always tried to do which were part of “glorifying God.” In what ways do these relate to your own calling in life?

Next steps: Using your definition of excellence (above), can you identify any public servants who seem to rise to this standard? Pray for the people on your list, that they might serve with excellence. Then write them and tell them you have prayed for them thus.

T. M. Moore

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This week’s study, Christians and Public Service, is part 4 of a 5-part series on The King’s Heart, a Biblical view of government and politics, and is available as a free download by clicking here. We cannot understand God’s view of government, or how to function in a political environment apart from faith in King Jesus and His rule. Order T. M.’s books The Kingship of Jesus  and The Ground for Christian Ethics to supplement our studies of God and government.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.