Question from Luke 19:11-27

Thanks to Eleanor who has asked the first question on the LateChurch website. Here’s the question:

“I was wondering if you could please summarise and prioritise (where applicable) what Christians should be doing in their lives in order to please the Lord as per Luke 19:11-27. Could you please also provide some relevant examples of areas where Christians are at risk of being sidetracked, and abandoning our responsibilities (other than computer games!!)”

Thanks for the question Eleanor, and here’s my thoughts.

Luke 19:11-27 is a condemnation of the Jewish Leaders for failing in their responsibility to care for God’s people that God had entrusted to them. They were to be shepherds of the flock, but as we see consistently throughout Luke, they were more interested in themselves than they were in God and his people. As those who have inherited the Kingdom and it’s responsibilities, I think the question we need to be asking is precisely what the Jewish leaders should have been asking. How do I serve God, how do I serve God’s people?

It’s when you start asking this question seriously, and putting those answers into practice, that I think you are really pleasing God.

With respect to fulfilling the responsibility entrusted to us as Christians, here’s what I reckon the biggest road-block is for young Christians these days – we think that God and church is there to serve us, not the other way around. And so “things” exist for us, and life is shaped by what we see as important.

So that’s the general answer – here’s some specifics of how we find it playing itself out:

For your own life – start asking the question, “Is what I’m doing actually growing the Kingdom of God or not?“. Now often it’s not so much about what you’re doing, as the attitude you are doing it with, but sometimes we need to be more brutal with ourselves. Sometimes we need to change direction in where our whole life is heading, to better use the gifts, talents and relationships that God has given us. We want to have the right attitude in serving…but we also want to be serving in the right place. Ask yourself, is the path I’m heading down actually going to result in the Kingdom being grown…or is it just where I’ve always been heading? This is hard to do, and it can be quite confronting…but be brave – it’s worth it!

For others – start asking the question, “Am I going through the motions in life so that I am comfortable and well cared for, or so that others are comfortable and well cared for?“. The consumer mentality has seeped in to Western Christians, so church, bible studies, relationships are all about what I can get out of them…and when I stop getting something out of them, I stop bothering with them and find something else I can get something out of. There’s nothing wrong with computer games – my issue is that they have become so all-consuming that they become a hindrance to actually being responsible. The same could be said about “feeling comfortable” (or not) doing things. I hear this so much, that I can’t help but think it’s the catch phrase of those who don’t want to do anything except what they feel like. Life isn’t always meant to be comfortable, and you won’t grow unless you stretch yourself. So my encouragement is to start approaching relationships, church and growth groups with the mindset of investing in other peoples lives with the emotional and physical resources that you have so that they can come to know Jesus and grow stronger in their relationship with him.

Imagine what impact Christians would make if they asked these questions honestly, and implemented the answers? We need to grow up and see that responsibility is not something that should have to be thrust upon us, but something that we should grasp with both hands and embrace. Shape your week around God’s priorities. Identify the things you do that don’t contribute to growing the Kingdom of God…and scrap them. Then work out how you can use what God has given you – your gifts, passions, opportunities – to grow His Kingdom.

You’ll be surprised you know. The more you use the things God has given you to build His Kingdom, the more you’ll realise that the responsibility He’s given us feels more like a privilege than a burden. And what’s more, that privilege comes with it’s own rewards when all is said and done. Just look at God’s generosity in Luke 19.

Responsibility is not a dirty word. And we need to start taking responsibility for the things God has charged us with. To grow His Kingdom.