Unprofitable Servants

Serving at Camp Joy is our chosen responsibility, and anyone who thinks we do it grudgingly needs to keep reading this blog. God, working through us, led us here where we clean, cook, organize, welcome, and serve in any way we can. Like your job, it often tires us, and when we go home, like you, we have work to do there too.

This was an especially tiring week since we’ve been out of the groove of week-long retreats. We had the Young-at-Heart group here Monday through Thursday, which means our nights didn’t end until 10:00 or so at camp, but our mornings still started bright and early. After the camp was over, we went home to a house that needed some attention.

We’ve shared the house cleaning responsibilities, but one night Ruth did a number of other little jobs that brightened up the dusty corners. Rachel came home and noticed the extra care given around the house and said, “Oh Ruth, thank you for doing that!” to which Ruth dryly replied, “I’m just an unprofitable servant…doing what I’m supposed to do.”

Luke 17:7-10

But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.

So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

How funny! But how true! Sometimes I feel I deserve a medal for making my bed in the morning. Of course, rooms and houses are for living in, not showing off, so they don’t always maintain a pristine appearance. Our responsibilities are just something we do because we are alive. They make possible the privileges we enjoy.

The only one who deserves any praise is God the Father who created the world and its order. He maintains all things and keeps them running in their place. He fixes what we break. And He does all things well!