who loves ya, baby?

A number of years ago, there was a television series by the name of Kojak. Starring Tellie Cevalis, Kojak was a hip New York detective, who was bald and completely cool.

Kojak was known for some memorable lines, perhaps the most famous of which was actually a question. He used to ask, “Who loves ya baby?” Whatever the implied answer, the question itself is extremely relevant.

“Who loves ya baby?” Who loves YOU and YOU and YOU . . . and ME? The answer to this question, and the degree to which we understand what it implies, will play a major role in the way we think about our lives and ministries. Indeed, it will in many ways determine our own spiritual energy level and how well we continue in the work God has given us to do.

When you work with people–as we all do–when you work with young people–as some of us do–you are participating in something that is difficult to measure and impossible to overestimate. We are talking about affecting what is yet to be, influencing the future, having an impact on the kingdom of God, paving the way for others, affecting how they will conduct their lives.

I think we are of the opinion–at least I am–that what we do in this life actually matters. People matter; young people matter. I’m not looking for some spiritual notch on my belt. What matters to me is that lives are changed–that young people grow up as followers of truth, embodiments of integrity, examples of godliness, conduits of God’s love. What matters to me is that I have some impact, however small it may seem at times, on people I hope and pray will follow the One who is the truth.

We have that impact, I would suggest, when we maintain personal integrity, show genuine concern, and demonstrate authenticity, faith, and love. I, for one, count it a privilege, an honor. This is what it’s all about.

But when we invest our lives in young people, when we attempt to help others, there are times when we wonder about it all, wonder whether it’s worth it. So it’s natural to ask ourselves what we “get” out of helping others–young and old alike. This, frankly, is why we are urged in Scripture to encourage and build up one another. We all need that. And we all ought to be going out of our way to be kind to others, to show them and tell them that we appreciate them. But, to be honest, I want more.

This is why I find solace in those passages in the Bible that assure me that it is worth it. One of these is Matthew 25:23. There we are told that when we stand before God, he will say to those who truly followed his ways, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” This is why we do what we do–teaching a lesson, preparing to instruct a young person, spending time with others. We do it because–among other things–we want the Lord to say, “Good work.” “Good job!” “Way to go!”

1 Corinthians 15: 58 says something similar: “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

Your toil is not in vein. Your labor is not worthless.

To be honest, there are times when I wonder about it, when I’m uncertain that anything that I do matters, when I’m not clear whether what I do now has any lasting impact. But, as a teacher, I get little glimpses here and there, hints that some people actually care, that lives can be moved–sometimes dramatically and often gradually–in a direction in which I sense–to use Jesus’ own words–“the kingdom of God has come near.”

Still, the hints are not an end but a reminder of what fully awaits those who have been faithful to instruct, to guide, to care, to live properly, to love.

As a teacher, one of the most challenging and blessed things I do is interact with young people (in my case, young adults, high school students). And perhaps in part because of the nature of the subject I teach (I teach health) and, in part, because of my own personality, I get close to some kids. In fact each year–and I’ve done this for some time now–I go through a kind of “blue” period, a time of sadness in which I see good young people grow older, mature, and move to the next phase of their lives. This is why, as I’ve said, I sometimes ask myself, “Will they remember? Have I made any difference? Do they understand that I really do care? Have I had any affect on them? Does it all simply melt away with time, or have I said or done anything that actually has eternal value.”

It is at times like these that my worldview is reinforced and my heart is encouraged with thoughts that “my labor is not in vein.” The Message Bible says it this way: “Stand your ground. And don't hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort” (1 Cor 15:58).

Here is what I envision: One day there will be a great reunion. One day we will gather together in the presence of God, and we will discover like never before that it really was worth it. Truth endures. Love lasts. Lessons of Good News do not go away. Lives can be and are changed by God, and–amazingly–He often works through us in making these changes! We will see the fruit of what we’ve done in this life; we will experience it.

I don’t want to minimize the responsibility we have of encouraging one another. If someone does something nice for us, or if someone has been a blessing to others, we ought to notice it . . . and tell him or her. That’s why we are told to “encourage one another,” “to build up one another.” We need that!

In another sense, however, our reward is yet to come. We will be appreciated in a full and complete way, it will all make sense, later. Knowing these things, dwelling on these realities, is what hope is all about. And, as Scripture says in one place, “Hope does not disappoint.”

Some theologians, seeking to make sense of these realities, have referred to this as “ now and the not yet.” In Old Testament times there was a general belief in two ages: There was this age, and there was the age to come. But with the coming of Jesus, as often happened, this idea was revolutionized. When Jesus came, he initiated profound things: In one place he said, “The kingdom of heaven is in your midst.” “It’s here . . . because I am here.” And, of course, when Jesus conquered the grave he ushered in the age to come, the age of the Messiah. This is why some have said that with the coming of Jesus the kingdom has been brought into the present. While we do not experience this in full, we can encounter a measure of it today. The future has been brought into the here-and-now, and we have some access to it now. The future age has been brought by the Spirit into the present. And so, though the full manifestation of this kingdom is yet-to-come, there is an echo of the future that has already arrived, which we can grasp and experience by faith. Hope is that alive.

I’m not always this way, but there are times when I can sense it, that the future overlaps the present. I can almost feel it, and when I do, I know that it all makes sense, that our labors matter, that the time and energy we invest in others will not be forgotten. I can sense, at least on some occasions, that the efforts we put into our various ministries are all being stored up for that time when we see the fruit of our labors. Sometimes, I can almost taste what awaits us.

That’s why I love to hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together” (Matthew 25:23, New Living Translation)!

I used to think of this as a rather sterile declaration, a simple announcement that God was somehow pleased with us. You can almost imagine a bunch of people waiting for their “trophies.” “Keep the line moving, please.” But now, I see this as a realization of the fruit that is borne in the lives of those individuals whom we had the privilege of knowing and affecting. To enter into our labors will be the realization that what really matters has actually lasted. Truth has won the day, has won eternity. The things we did here–the lessons we’ve attempted to share with others, the relationships we’ve developed with young people, the kind words and the prayers and whatever else it is that you do–all of it will be remembered, and it will prove to us all that it has been worth it.

You labor now, BUT you do not labor in vain. Not only will you receive a “good job” from the Lord of heaven and earth, but you will actually enter your labors, interact with those who spent time in your presence and were exposed to your compassion and love. Hebrews 6:10-12 puts it this way:

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

1 Corinthians 3:8 adds this: “The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.”

Who loves ya baby? He does, and he’s promised that your work has not gone unnoticed, your efforts will not be forgotten, your toil is not in vein. The lessons you share with that young person, the extra effort you give to help shape the lives of others–these things really do matter!

Rejoice in this fact. Allow that future reality to come up close to you and impact you today. See the future now. Experience a measure of this promise today. Allow God to fill your soul with the realization that it is worth it all. Let your heart be energized with the thought that it is worth it all because you know the answer to Kojak’s question. You can rest your life, you can build your future, on this fact.

“Who loves ya baby?”