with good will doing service as to the Lord, and not to men, Ephesians 6:7 WEB
In some capacity, we all live lives of service. We serve in our families, at work, and in our communities. Some serve as leaders and some as followers. Paul’s statement in his letter to the Ephesians encourages each of us to serve with good will. Whether you have a leadership role, or you are at the bottom rung of the ladder, this scripture concerning service as to the Lord instructs us to perform our daily tasks as though everything we do is for God himself.
Imagine the impact of this mindset. We may not feel like doing our best for the boss. We may not always be inspired to do our best even for family and friends. But, when we work with the attitude that we are serving the Lord, this approach promotes the best performance possible.
The Earth Is the Lord’s
We learn in scripture from Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. KJV” The world, everything in it, including all people, truly belongs to God. That means that no matter what we do, we either serve God or act in opposition to him.
Consider the words of Jesus in Matthew 12:30, “He who is not with me is against me, and he who doesn’t gather with me, scatters. WEB” Ultimately, we either serve the Lord or we fail to do so. When we give less than our best, we aren’t performing poorly for our employer or our employees, but rather, we are performing poorly for God.
We Serve the Lord
A godly attitude at work is easier for the believer when treat all of our tasks as, “service as to the Lord.” Though we may not feel like giving our best to an ungrateful boss, for example, knowing that ultimately, we serve the Lord, we can respond with an attitude that honors God and demonstrates his love for all people.
Jesus says in John 13:34, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, just like I have loved you; that you also love one another. WEB” Our Savior gave everything he had on the cross, glorifying God and God glorified him. To love like Jesus, we give our all to everything we do. Without regard to whether or not others are doing the right thing, Christians are called to demonstrate the good example of service as to the Lord.
Prayer: “Father God, thank you for the truth of your holy word. Guide my steps as I serve your purpose. Help me to serve in all capacities as though I work for you and you alone. In Jesus’ name – Amen”
Yesterday’s Devotional: We Wait in Hope
