Job XIV

 What makes a man blameless and upright is not performative. It’s not how he dresses or the image he projects when he is in public, but what is in the inward parts. God knew Job’s heart and found him to be blameless and upright because his heart was pure. Men judge others by what they can see, by their outward appearance and how they present themselves, by how eloquent they are, or by the diplomacy they employ in conversations. God sees the heart and weighs the heart, and though men may project an air of holiness outwardly, it does not impress God in the least.

I traveled with my grandfather full-time for ten years. From the age of twelve to the age of twenty-two, I was on the road nine months out of the year, and even to this day, I’m often asked what stood out to me about him during those days. Although others saw him as a messenger, a man of God, someone through whom God worked, I saw him as my grandfather. So what stood out to me wasn’t his testimony, calling out specific sin in a congregation and insisting upon repentance, or even the message for America, but rather the consistency of his character when he wasn’t in a church setting or standing behind a pulpit.

He was a man of prayer and conviction throughout his life. He didn’t pretend to be godlier than he was when in public than in a private setting; he didn’t put on airs or act a certain way when others were present than when it was just the two of us; he was a man wholly committed to God, and it showed in perpetuity. I’d wake up in the middle of the night and find him kneeling by the side of the bed praying. There was no one there to notice, no one to impress, and no hidden cameras that could take note of his commitment to spending time with God; it was the desire of his heart, pure and simple, unadulterated by ulterior motives or hidden interests.

If there is no joy, desire, or anticipation in spending time with God, if it is not the priority of your existence, then the heart is not where it should be. There is no greater thing you can accomplish on a given day than to be in the presence of God and have fellowship with Him. Yes, a thousand things are vying for your time. Yes, there is a long list of things you need to get done before the sun sets anew, but at the top of that list, every day, without fail, must be communion with God.  

Having spent so much time with someone whose singular desire was fellowship with God allows me to understand Job’s mindset better than most. It was something God was privy to, but something Satan could not have known, hence his overconfidence at being able to compel Job to curse God. Satan didn’t understand Job’s heart, but God did.

Although it has become a trope in our modern age, wherein men use the notion of God knowing their hearts as an excuse for their compromises, God knew Job’s heart as being blameless and upright. He feared God and shunned evil. He did not commit evil, trying to justify it by reverting to God’s knowledge of his heart. It’s not splitting hairs; it’s understanding the true nature of an individual and what drives them.

Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

This should be the attitude of an individual seeking to be pleasing in the sight of the Lord. Whether we want to be or not, we are an open book to God. There is nothing we do in secret that will remain so and nothing we can hide from His all-seeing countenance.

When we ask God to search our hearts without the intent or desire to prune what is unnecessary or do away with what offends Him, what we’re really doing is asking God to justify our compromise and indifference. We’ve gone from search me and lead me in the way everlasting, to search me, but not too deeply, lest you discover some hidden thing that I must part with and repent of. We are still approaching God as though He is there to serve us rather than the inverse. This not only leads to improper expectations on our part but an improper relationship with God.

We all want to be used by God, but only in the office that meets our expectations. Everyone wants to be a prophet to the nations, but the wait list for janitorial services is either short or nonexistent. The desire of our hearts extends beyond the purity of serving our master to every other area of this present existence, wherein we’re willing to serve if only He will bless us, show us favor, give us stuff, and elevate us in the eyes of our contemporaries. That’s not the contract we signed, though; it never has been, and it never will be.

A servant does not choose the tasks he performs for his master, nor does the servant get to determine if a certain task is beneath them. A servant serves, obeys, and does his utmost to be faithful to the work his master has tasked him with.

I’m fully aware some take issue with the use of servant or slave within the context of our duty toward God, but it’s a matter you should take up with Him because the Word is clear on the topic. We’ve taken to believe that the things which are declared and cataloged within scripture are also given to debate or personal interpretation. They are not!

Paul uses the term slave more often than any other to define his relationship with his Master. Whether that’s bondservant, servant, or outright slave, the root of the word is the same in every case, meaning you do not have personal autonomy once you’ve committed and submitted to God. You don’t get to decide what you will do on behalf of the Kingdom; He tells you what He needs you to do. He commands, you obey. Whether you think the task at hand is beneath you shouldn’t enter into the equation because God will place you where He needs you, not where you want to be.

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea, Jr.