Throughout my previous career, I commanded hundreds of men and women at every level of the
police department. As I reflect on who the “best” employee was, I think of one man without
hesitation—Mike. What made Mike stand out above all others is captured in one word: reliability.
Mike and I were friends, though I can count on one hand the times we did anything together outside
of work. We were the same age, shared many of the same life experiences and had a similar sense
of humor, but there were others I was closer to and laughed with more often. Mike was highly
competent, yet many in the organization were also exceptionally skilled at their jobs. No, Mike was
in a class of his own because of his reliability. That attribute made my job easier and more
enjoyable. Frankly, I wish I had been more like Mike in that regard.
Much more important than reliability in the workplace is reliability in Christian living. Two aspects
of that characteristic appear in Philippians 2:12-16. The first is diligent obedience.
Mike, too, was a leader. This meant some tasks required his personal effort, while others were
delegated to subordinates. Regardless, when Mike said “Yes, sir” or “Got it,” there was no doubt
the mission would be accomplished. Apart from an insurmountable barrier, I knew obstacles
would be overcome, problems would be solved and the job would get done.
Likewise, these verses describe a reliable Christian, that is, one who is diligently obedient. They
characterize believers who “get the job done.” Reliable Christians, in humility, obey what they have
been commanded to do, even in the face of setbacks. It’s easy to see that God is at work in them
because they are consistently at work for Him!
It is the second aspect of reliability that truly set Mike apart from the rest. He did what was asked
of him without complaint. When he reported back on an assignment, it was not accompanied by a
list of challenges. The subsequent verses in Philippians also capture that characteristic of the
reliable Christian.
Diligent obedience in Christian living is commendable, but faithfully overcoming obstacles without
complaint—now that’s truly extraordinary! In a world where hard work has increasingly been
replaced by self-pity, it’s no wonder that simply working without whining is compared to shining “as
lights in the world.” And if shining as lights wasn’t enough, it’s also the recipe for being “blameless
and innocent.”
How would you rate your Christian reliability? Are you humbly responsive to the Lord’s instruction?
Do you carry out His commands diligently, looking to solve problems, or do you fold at the first sign
of resistance?
You know what God requires of you—to worship Him on the Lord’s Day, to be in His Word, to spend
time consistently in prayer, and to love others and encourage them to serve the Lord in the same
ways. How difficult (or easy) is it for you to neglect those? Does being a little sleepy or, perhaps,
an incoming text all it takes to keep you from “working out your own salvation”? When you are
diligently obedient, is it without grumbling or disputing?
In the end, it’s quite simple. Do what He commands, and do it without complaint. You will be
blameless and innocent before God, shining lights in a crooked and twisted generation.