I was reading in the book of Luke this morning and a passage really jumped out at me.

“Will anyone 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?’ 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’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 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.'”

It can be so tempting to think what is asked of us in difficult times, in hard times, with difficult and hard people, is too much. More than they deserve, more than we can muster. The betrayal is too deep. The pain too severe. The disregard too great.

The world seems brittle right now; heavy with anxiety and frustration. Tempers flare and injustice is spotted everywhere. It feels like the weight of life has been slowly tipping over and is about to come crashing down as gravity takes over. But according to these words of Jesus the faithful servant still does what is commanded of him. No matter what is being asked of him.

Forgive anyway.

Love anyway.

Serve anyway.

Pray anyway.

Do good anyway.

Encourage each other anyway.

Bear with each other anyway.

Because it is only our duty to do so.

Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother
And in His name, all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us praise His holy name Christ is the Lord!