SERVING WITHOUT COMPLAINT

 What blessing, strength, encouragement, and life we receive from those who serve the Lord faithfully and without complaint! How our hearts are touched by those whose lives demonstrate such surrender to God’s will, and whose love for the Lord is revealed in their willingness to lay down self, take up their cross, and follow Him. Below is an email from a friend whose life has been such an example to me.

An Email From A Friend October 28, 2002.
Dear Billy and Laurel,
...I've been meditating recently on a comment by FB Meyer: "There is a providence of loss, a ministry of failing and fading things, a gift of emptiness…" This has been relevant to me, obviously, in the face of our family's loss and the necessity of giving 5-6 hours a day, 7/7, en route to or at the hospital. Let me say, there is no place I'd rather be. I don't begrudge it at all. My heart is to be there. But it has been a huge pruning as far as having time, energy, strength for "ministry". And we have no idea what the future holds. It seems a strange way for Him to dispose of His servant's time and energies. I'm thinking of you and us.
Dennis P____ said, while he was with us in London, that we were "an expensive piece of work", indicating that the Lord has invested lots in our lives over the last 40 years. The phrase struck me, because He [the Lord] seems to be getting very little return on His investment during this season. But that is His job. I bow to His sovereignty and wait in hope...
And I know that our friendship together, born out of years, deep love, and some fire, is inviolable. That friendship was Jesus’ goal with those the Father put with Him. And they are still with Him, surrounding Him, helping Him extend His government.
I don't have answers for our predicament at this point - and don't need them. I just need Him - and He gives Himself freely.
I look forward to talking.
Our love to you both,
P______

Our Load Might Represent God's Confidence In Us.
In our limited knowledge we often misunderstand the deeper mysteries of God in the way He works in our lives?
God disciplines those He loves and He requires more from those He favors. He asks more from those upon whom He has placed a high calling and from those who have been given more. It is an honor for God to ask of you more than He asks of others.
The early Christians did not complain and say, “Why me?” when they were persecuted and beaten for Christ’s sake, but rather they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for His sake. They knew they were being honored as “worthy to drink the cup” (Mark 10: 35-39). The true spiritual giants are not those who seem to glide along effortlessly in “flowery beds of ease” on a warm and balmy day. The horses who submit to the training bridle are the ones chosen to pull the king’s carriage, not the ones who are left to run wild and free in the pasture. It is not a compliment when God asks nothing of you.

Why is God asking hard things of us and requiring more of us than seems fair? It may be that we need it. But also, it may be associated with the high calling He has placed on our lives, a reflection of His great expectations regarding our character and potential. It may also be that He has honored us by allowing our participation in such an important cause and great work, the depth and significance of which is known only to Him. We will not know the full ramifications of our service until we stand in His presence in the age to come.  But in any case, we should always know that He works with a view to the joy and delight He will have in bestowing rewards and blessing upon those He loves so dearly, and especially upon those who serve Him so faithfully.

Luke 12: 48. “…For everyone to whom much has been given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.”
Matthew 25: 23. "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; You have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'"