“Serve the LORD with gladness.”

The thought crossed my mind as I thought thoughts on my early morning walk three days ago. (I bristle sometimes at the complaining service God’s people render to Him sometimes.)

“Serve the LORD with gladness,” came the verse piece plopping into my critical thoughts. Made me think that my bristling criticisms had a ready, worthy target in the very organ generating them.

“Serve the LORD with gladness,” the brief cascade of Scriptures began.

Because “God loveth a cheerful giver” was the next verse fragment.

Because we are both tasked and privileged to do whatever we do “heartily, as to the Lord.”

Because “it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

Because we each have our own calling in which to be faithful and what another person does for Jesus and His church is…well, “What is that to thee? Follow thou me.”

There’s just no need to whine about it. Nor to parade in front of others (or through the grand avenues of my mind) my free, unacknowledged, unthanked service. Unless, of course, I’m doing it as unto men, in which case I really must make sure they know and notice and generate some gratitude.

Time to think His thoughts! Make them my own. Though they be so much higher than my own. Because they’re so much higher, in fact.

Faithful to Him!

Time to serve Him with cheerful, hearty, glad faithfulness.

Time to surrender to and embrace the mind of Christ — He “made himself of no reputation.”

Some early morning walks are just that way. 🙂 Others don’t get that high. 🙁

“Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing” (Psalm 100:2).

“Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men” (Colossians 3:23).

“Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2).

“Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me” (John 21:22).

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8,9).

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

“But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7).