Good morning. I have noticed that those who serve the Lord most joyfully are the ones who know Him most personally. The greater our sense of intimacy with Christ, the greater is our joy and satisfaction in serving Him.
That idea is not unique to our faith. I would suggest that it is very true for most of our relationships. Those people with whom we are closest are the people that we are happy to do favors for, go out of our way to please, and are willing to serve with a smile.
There are others of course. There are also people we serve out of obligation or job description. There are people we serve because it is easier to just do what they ask than it is to argue about it. There are people we serve because we pity their situation, and we feel that our actions are, “the right thing to do”. That is fine, but there may not be a lot of joy involved in any of those scenarios.
I have found in my own life that when I am at a peaceful place of joy with the Lord, serving Him and others is much more natural and enjoyable. Would you say the same?
Please consider with me a few Bible verses that speak of our joy in the Lord, and of our relationship with Him.
Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart! Psalm 32:11
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100
Would you like to increase the level of your joy today? Please consider beginning that quest with an intimate time of prayer with the Lord. At the heart of this prayer, please consider asking the Lord to guide you into ways in which you would best serve Him this day. Not out of duty or compulsion but as an expression of love. In doing so, you will be blessed and experience greater joy.
Vern