Spotlight on

Service.

One of the memory verses that stuck from Sunday School:

"Col. 3:23 Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men"

The child like understanding of this verse is still something I need to be reminded of regularly at my adult age. We weren't told to do only the difficult things as unto the Lord, or only the easy things as unto the Lord, but whatever we do. Yikes. Talk about the burden of responsibility...
Something I've only been able to grasp in my adulthood however, is the liberty this command brings.
Often times when I am in the midst of a difficult task I will often try to think of 'good' reasons I should NOT resent the task. For example, when cleaning up after someone else. (We should all sit down right now and write our mothers thank you notes.) I often reason "there are times I have to run out the door myself and leave a mess behind, so I should give grace and mercy." or "they are so busy and have a lot on their plate." While these sound like noble things and may improve the spirit in which I am acting, there are moments those reasons just don't cut it. Sometimes the task at hand is something I abhor, and no amount of gratitude or cheering up make the task seem worthwhile- especially when I am serving someone I am at odds with.
The little voice in my head can logically weed out every single reason I should NOT do the task at hand and either leave it or refuse it. Either way, the task becomes a problem for someone else. That is 1-irresponsible 2-NOT the heart of a servant.
Here is the root of my problem. My motivation is human oriented. I find my motivation in what I am doing for man, not the Lord. As unto the Lord, with all my soul- that is my command. The Lord is worthy of all honor and glory... and when the task at hand becomes an opportunity to bring Him these things, suddenly there's a certain joy that floods the heart. The mundane becomes an act of service for the God who gives us so much. It's the spirit in which we act that makes all the difference. How much more zeal and effort is there in something done as unto the Lord? The reward and satisfaction then are priceless because the knowledge that you are serving your maker is something no one else can evaluate. Greater still is the knowledge that He knows and sees your heart and effort-He receives the gift of service. That is so much greater a reward than any human accolade or recognition, because the things of God are eternal. Your work as unto the Lord will be forever a step in the molding of a heart that is being refined as gold.