SCRIPTURE:
7 'Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.
Ephesians 6:7-8
OBSERVATION:
Even in prison Paul seized this moment as UNTO THE LORD, thus encouraging the saints to be honorable in their tasks and that our only real responsibility is obedience. Obedience to God means obedience to everyone and anyone in authority. It’s one in the same, always as UNTO THE LORD. And that’s when it gets a little anxious for me. You see I love singing, “Lord I give You my heart”, but I also cringe at times to sing, “You’re all I want, You’re all I ever needed.” Not because I don’t want to; but because all of it to Him means none of it for me.
APPLICATION:
The good news is that when I give Him my whole heart, He is faithful to fill the hole in my heart. His righteousness promises to reward (verse 8). To get there I need to address a couple things:
- Have a clear and realistic understanding of what His reward means. It’s easy to do the good thing when there is a good reward waiting. Nothing motivates like promises of reward for one’s time, effort and work. Dangle that carrot and most will persevere through pain, punishment and problems. Now, when God says He will reward, He WILL REWARD. It doesn’t mean a big payday, It doesn’t mean I’ll always get my way, or that the desired outcome will be reached. His reward means that I’m cared for not coddled, kept safe not spoiled. My reward is to be called faithful, child of God, written in the book of life.
- See everything through an AS UNTO THE LORD lens. A wise man always reminds me to do things “as unto the Lord”. Hearing it over and over again dulled me to the wisdom poured out in this short statement. However, if I do everything, absolutely everything “as unto the Lord”, then the thought that constantly rings in my soul, the thought that says, “what’s in it for me?” quickly dissipates to a heart that beats to please Him, in thought and in action, always.
- Give Him my whole heart not only in the big things, but the not so big things. He wants all of my heart, not just the part of me that is unsure of what to do. He want’s my heart when I’m confident and cocky as much as when I’m weak and whiny, even more so on the former. A total reliance on Him and His power means He has it all. As Pastor Wayne says, “integrity of heart means WHOLE HEART.” Not 99% good a little bit of me. It needs to be 100% Him.
- The apostle writes, “whether slave or free”. Just as number 2 doesn’t weigh when or where I to do it UNTO THE LORD, I also cannot waver in my serving with the seasons. May my seasons of drought out give, out serve and out love my seasons of fruitfulness; because only through my wholehearted serving will my root reengage the source, Jesus Pure and Simple.
PRAYER:
Jesus as I give you my heart, my whole heart, every single part, I pray you open my eyes wide to see you, empower my ears to hear You, and grant me to courage to follow You. Amen
