AUTHOR: BOLA FOLAKEMI PRAISE
TOPIC: WHAT IS THE QUALITY OF YOUR SERVICE TO GOD?
TEXT: LUKE 19:13, 1 CORINTHIANS 12:4-6
Service means carrying out duties, being useful for a particular task. God gave everybody special gift that can be referred to as “TALENT” there is nobody that is living without at least one talent.
How effectively are you using your God given talents? Are you doing it wholeheartedly? Our services in God’s house should be without eye service, God’s standard is very high; so He is not expecting anything lower than his standard from us.
God wants you to give Him quality service in anywhere you are functioning in the church.
God wants the best of every service we want to render in his kingdom. "But King David replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing." (1chronicles 21:24).
It is either you give Him your best or nothing, He will not settle for less, He cannot compromise His standard for anything.
Are you doing your service fully with all your strength? “Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free”. (Ephesians 6:6-8)
What is the motive behind your service? Is it to get the favour of man and your pastor? Is it that you want to show to the world that nobody can do it better than you?
Are you doing it so that you will be promoted? Or are you doing it to give glory to the giver of all good and perfect gifts?
(This is the best thing to do with your gift.)
Remember God cannot be deceived; "then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds (Revelation 2:23b).
Our service to God should be borne out of love and affection we have for Him, and not for other selfish reasons.
We should not render service to God; basically because we want to get something from Him. We should not offer any service that is not worthy to God, we are not doing Him a favour by working for Him, He has nothing to loose if we don’t work for Him, but we have a lot to loose when we stop working for Him.
“Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain” (1corinthians 15:58). It is not all services in the house of God that attracts positive reward; you cannot render unworthy service to God and be expecting positive reward. Revelation 22:12 says “Behold I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone ACCORDING to what he has done” (NIV)
FOR YOUR SERVICE TO BE REWARDED POSITIVELY YOU NEED TO DO THE FOLLOWING
· Give yourself fully to the service; you must do it with joy even when nobody is there to tell you thank you.
· Count it all joy when you are being persecuted or treated unjustly (James 1:2-3)
· Do not give up on your service; remember you are doing it for God and not man, so you need to keep working to the end. (Luke 9:62)
· Make sure you don’t use your talent as a weapon against the kingdom of God. For example if you are a chorister; because something happened in the church; you refused to lead praise and worship in the church, such person has turned the gift that God gave to him/her to a weapon against God. Lucifer did it and God relegated him to nothing.
· Always appreciate God by giving Him the glory for endowing you with such a great talent. Remember He does not share His glory with any man; praise Him rather than praising yourself.
· Do your service without complaining or grudging. (Philippians 2:14)
In conclusion; we need to encourage ourselves not to give up rendering our genuine service to God. Knowing fully well that He will reward us in due season. (Galatians 6:9).
