“…to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.” (Acts 1:25)

It is suffocating, sad and embarrassing for a person to be in a certain place and feel like a fish out of water. What can you say about a person who performs a certain function that does not match up with their principles and training?

Certainly, they must feel out of place, dissatisfied and very discouraged, as if they were carrying a heavy burden on their back every day. They may even be able to do their job, because they learned how to do it well, but their thinking is always on something else, wanting to be elsewhere.

I imagine how Judas must have felt beside the Lord Jesus and the other disciples, since he was not sincere. He walked with the disciples, behaved like one of them, healed, freed people from demons and even took the Word of the Lord Jesus to the afflicted. However, his attitudes were full of hypocrisy and falsehood. Judas never abandoned his personal projects; he never actually gave his life in truth to the Master.

I believe the following thought must have passed through his mind: “I don’t belong here”. After all, his attitudes and reactions showed just that, because instead of worrying about those who were suffering, Judas was more concerned with stealing the offerings. Look at what the Word says:

“This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.” (John 12.6)

Judas walked with the Lord Jesus; he knew Him intimately. Judas had great experiences with His Power, heard wonderful words from His mouth that were not written in the Gospels. This served him for a while, but the truth is that being beside the Messiah was never his place. His greed and falsehood took him to where he belonged.

Know that serving God goes far beyond just working or following a direction given. Serving Him means having intimacy with Him, doing His will, thinking like He thinks, denying oneself, no longer living for this world or having any personal projects or dreams.

Serving Him also means loving Him to the point of not having anything you do for Him become tiring or burdensome with time. In the opposite, as every day becomes more pleasurable in dedicating your life on behalf of His Kingdom.

A true servant wants to be where His Lord is, that is, among the afflicted, lost and those in need (Isaiah 57:15).

A true servant does not think about himself; he is not worried about his future or where he will be tomorrow. His luggage is always ready. In fact, he is always ready to be sent anywhere in the world because his desire is to be where the Lord wants him to be. That’s the only thing that matters! As a result of this desire to do what pleases Him, he will never feel out of place, or even wronged, because his greatest joy is to serve Him and honour Him.

Whoever serves God with sincerity and desires to please Him above all things, has the privilege of being in His presence, protected and guided by Him. Therefore, there is no doubt or fear in surrendering to His Will. In the opposite, as there is faith, security, certainty and the peace in being in the right place doing the will of his Lord.

There is nothing, not even a job in this world that tops or surpasses the privilege of being a servant of the Almighty. Even when struggles and persecutions come, the reward comes from on High and it is infinitely greater than any and all afflictions. It is an honour to be in the place where God has chosen us to serve Him.

Those who belong to God remain until the end. Pay attention to the text in 1 John 2.19:

“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.”

May God enlighten your understanding and bless all those who believe!