Serve the Lord with Gladness

The other night I received a call from a man who was recently saved at our church and he told me, “Pastor, the Lord and you have done so much for me lately, what can I do at the church?”   Naturally I responded, “That’s ok, we’re good !”   NOT !!!    But what a joy to hear something like this !  Of his own will he decided to make the offer out of a heart response to God’s working in his heart.  Sometimes with us older Christians, that spirit of gratitude and desire to serve the Lord wanes as we allow sin, selfishness, and other problems to “seize up” our hearts. We forget it’s about serving God not ourselves.  As we’ve just celebrated Easter, we must never forget how much Christ has done for EACH of us and our natural and spiritual response ought then to be that we will gladly and thoroughly serve the Lord Jesus !

The Psalmist of Psalm 100 captured the idea thus: “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing.” (vss.1-2).   There was an enthusiasm in his heart nurtured by his focus on and walk with the Lord. So often we do hear in our churches the need to serve Him, and that is needful to hear. But what is even more needful at times is to take a step back and before you engage in activity make sure your affection is right.  Ask yourself, why am I really doing this?  How well am I doing this? Is my all into it or not?    When your heart is truly grateful to God then you can serve the Lord right !