“I’ll do it.”  “No, I’ll do it.”  “No, I’ll do it.”  “Please, let me.”  “I said I’d take care of it!”  Sounds like a bunch of high school boys competing over how to impress a girl, doesn’t it?  Sadly, some brethren act this way when trying to do things they perceive will give them glory.  “I drove _________ miles to be here tonight to worship God.  I have a headache, stomach ache, and have had a hard day at work”.  Sad, isn’t it?  People complain so that others will think that they have gone “beyond the call of duty.”  I suppose that Jesus could have said some of those things on the cross.  Did He?  No, he glorified the Father through His death (John 21:19).

     Sadly, the attitude of brethren often shows that they are glory-seekers.  When it comes to things like mowing the lawn or cleaning the floors of the meeting house, there are few volunteers.  Those are things whereby men are not often glorified.  It is often those areas where there is less glory that more people are most needed.  Yet, most join in when they will “look good for doing something”.

     We were created to be servants of the most high God (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).  The beloved Apostle Paul wrote clearly about what things God should receive the glory for.  Paul wrote: “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (I Corinthians 10:31).  We need to realize the words of the inspired Apostle Paul.  We need to put them into application.  Those words teach us that God is be glorified in all that we do.  If we accomplish some great task in this life, we need to realize that this was done through the abilities that the Lord has blessed us with.  So many people have the “I” syndrome when we really need to know that it is not I, but the Lord who does great things.

     The glory that belongs to God is above all things on this earth.  The Psalmist makes this point rather eloquently by saying: “Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth” (Psalms 57:5).  If one were to just look around and see the handy work of the Lord, they would know why He alone should have the glory in all things good.  In fact, the Psalmist makes this point as well saying: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork” (Psalms 19:1).  In all that we do, God should get the glory (Matthew 5:14-16).  We should never do good things to be glorified.

     As Christians we were created in Christ just unto good works.  Paul wrote: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).  Paul prayed for the brethren in Colosse that they might “…walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10).  The Scriptures fully equip us “unto all good works” (II Timothy 3:16-17).  As Paul wrote to Titus he said: “In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you” (Titus 2:7-8).  Jesus died for us “…that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14).  We are to “be ready to every good work” (Titus 3:1).

     We should do good works because it is right.  Again, Paul wrote to Titus: “This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men” (Titus 3:8).  As Christians we ought to “consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Hebrews 10:24).  Our good works can help us to stand against false charges that might be brought against us due to our faith in the Lord (I Peter 2:12).

     Clearly, the word of God is clear that we need to do good works.  While all glory goes to God for our good works, there is a huge gain for us.  Our works will be what we will be judged upon (II Corinthians 5:10).  Thus, if we allow the standard of judgment to be our guide (John 12:48), we can know that Heaven will be our eternal home because of our obedience to the Lord.  While some may argue that good works will play no part in our salvation, the Lord taught differently (Matthew 25:31-48).  Thus, we should do good works because God desires such of us (Romans 2:10-11).  Yet, sometimes Christians feel they are above certain good works.

     “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).  Sometimes we forget what pride will do to us.  We begin to feel as though we are above others and above doing some things.  Such is not the truth for any single one of us.  Whether it is helping our elderly brothers and sisters in Christ into a car or helping to clean the restroom in their home, such ought to be done with the right attitude.  We do these things not to receive a pat on the back, but because we are renewed in Christ with the mindset of a servant.  This lesson is abundantly clear in the teaching of Christ: “But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.  But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:25-28).

     Even with the clarity of these truths, brethren often make sure that you know the “good” that they do.  They walk up to announce that they have done this or have done that.  We should never do things to be seen of men (Matthew 6:1; 23:5ff.).  After Jesus had washed the feet of the disciples, the record then states: “So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?  Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.  If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.  For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.  If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them” (John 13:12-17).  We are servants.  The glory in such is to the Father.  We do no greater thing when we serve.  We are just then meeting what we ought to be doing!

     How great it would be if all brethren worked and did so with the proper mindset.  The body of Christ would truly fit together as it ought to (I Corinthians 12:12-27; cf. Ephesians 4:16).  As Christians, in conversion we should have put off the old man with his deeds (Ephesians 4:22-24).  We should have put on Christ (Galatians 3:27).  Thus, we should have taken on His attitude in being a servant, even as we have seen in this article.  Of Jesus, Paul said: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name” (Philippians 2:5-9).

     Do not do things to gain reputation.  Do not do things to be respected of men.  Do things that are good, because it is right.  Know that your reward is not here and now, it is to come.  Let God take His glory that He might give us ours in that final day.  Let’s truly have the mindset of Christ and take on the form of a servant for the Lord’s glorification.