Service to the Lord

Do you ever get tired and overwhelmed? Especially when you're working on serving? Maybe when you're volunteering or even being paid to work in ministry? It can feel like you're not appreciated, like you're spending all your time serving and never get anywhere. People can be cruel and accusatory and you start to wonder why you're bothering. It's exhausting and frustrating and you really just want to give up. You begin to wonder why you're putting so much effort into something that no one appreciates.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."
Colossians 3:23

Did you get that last part? It is the Lord Christ you are serving. How often do we forget that? Yes, we're working with people, yes people write our paychecks, make our rules and give us our tasks but the Lord is the one we are serving.

The other day I was feeling overwhelmed and looking at my list of things I needed to do for both ministry and practical. I was exhausted and stressed so my amazing friend suggested I go out to the porch with my Bible and a notebook. Sit down, dwell on God's word and write down everything worrying me. That way I could check it off the list or just forget about it or pray over it to give it to the Lord. Whatever needed done.

So I did. I opened my Bible first to Isaiah and read a bit in there then I flipped over to Proverbs. The page that fell open had some amazing words that God knew I needed right then. Words I had written at some time in the past.

The first is some of the most amazing advice that I forget all too often. "No time serving God is a waste of time." I honestly have no idea where I heard this or when I wrote it but it's so true. Serving God is never, ever a waste of time and if we are always working unto the Lord as we're told to be in Colossians then sweeping up the cereal the kids spilled, wiping down always sticky counters or walking our parents or elderly neighbors dog or pulling weeds in their garden, or our own, is not a waste of time. It's service unto the Lord.

Along the same lines is a quote from my Great-Grandma. "The hands of God have human fingers." While you're not wasting time serving God you're also touching lives and hearts of those God has put in your path.

Keep that in mind when ministry and life has you discouraged.