iServe

1 Chronicles 17:18

What more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant. O LORD. For the sake of your servant and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made known all these great promises.

After breakfast today, my husband showed me on Yahoo a long read about tonight’s special edition of ABC’s Nightline dubbed ‘iFactory: Inside Apple’. This rare, public peek into the world’s largest electronic manufacturer is in response to various allegations and controversies marked by fourteen suicides and two deadly explosions, and sparked by articles and interviews exposing Foxconn’s poor working conditions. It is said that the 1.2 million Apple workers are in strict, almost robotic-like discipline, and are overworked, underpaid, and some, even underaged.  Here’s a portion of Weir’s disturbing, opening lines: 

"Okay." "Okay." "Okay."

The voices are robot feminine and they never shut up, each chirp a surreal announcement that another new iPad is about to be born.

"Okay." "Okay." "Okay."

A supervisor will bark the occasional order in Mandarin, but on this line the machines do most of the talking while the people work in silence.

Their faces are blank as they insert a chip or wipe a screen or plug in a diagnostic cable to hear that everything is "Okay."

And they will repeat that motion and hear that fembot voice a few thousand more times before lunch.

It is just an average day at Foxconn.

With the world’s idea of servanthood, be it hired or slavery, it’s no wonder no one liked the tag. For why would anyone sign himself to possible oppression?  But in today’s reading plus a thousand more mentions, ever wondered why the good God allowed it, even called for it? Let’s learn from David here. Once a shepherd, then a ruler, he’s our typical rags-to-riches guy. Except that he deviated from the typical. Yes, he’s enjoying the new luxurious status, but instead of embracing it all, he’s regularly seen inside a pitched tent, on his knees, and calling himself a servant. Many others would pay millions to be in his position of power and influence, how come he’s seemingly forfeiting such privileges?  Was David foolish in debasing himself, or we’re all just proud and self-deceived? He saw what most of us fail to realize: that God is so high up there and we’re so low down here. What is man compared to THE God? His infinity and perfection are way beyond us, not even with crowns on our head. David acknowledged that gap. He also saw praise in that gap. He was humbled and honored that his God, the highest Being, would reach down from on high to take hold of him, a lowly sinner. The same stance  Jesus took when He left the heavens for the cross. David’s CEO did that for him, and promised him much more. Would you not give your full loyalty, your life even, in return for such grace?

The Hebrew word for service and/or servant has two key ideas: action and obedience. It implies you have a work to perform and someone you belong to. The hard work part is usually the first surface-r, the initial complaints. But come to think of it, would you have the same level of stress given a different, kind-er boss?  OR, would you even suffer from overload if you have a considerate employer? Is it a possibility that our negative reaction to submission is because we fail to see that God’s ultimately incharge? Setting aside the inhumane allegations against Apple, what if you’re really in that routinary, tough job day in and day out, will God’s goodness never reach you? Will His promises for a bright future skip you? You may say, it’s easy for David to gladly take on the servant’s role for as king, he had everything around him. But note again, he was already as psalter as a shepherd; had songs as a fugitive; and wrote more even after he was banished from the throne. iServe I AM was his life’s theme. It’s no plain sailing, but ey, wouldn’t you give your all for a shot of being with the One who can walk on water and stop a storm? I wouldn't mind mopping the floor 24/7 if He's aboard!