Be a happy servant for Christ so that you can be proof to the world that serving God is the ultimate joy!
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SHAUNA: This is Shauna on Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope.I think you know that Joni loves serving the Lord Jesus.
JONI: More specifically, I enjoy serving the Lord with gladness. Now, it hasn’t always been that way; but honestly, I get such satisfaction out of doing something that I know pleases God. Something that helps others, like our work at Joni and Friends. Serving the Lord with gladness – did you know that that’s a command? In Psalm 100, God’s Word says, “Serve the Lord with gladness and come before His presence with singing.” Like, that’s one sentence. Serve the Lord with gladness and with song. Now that’s something I enjoy doing. And I love it that people around me serve God in the same way. Like the girls who get me up in the morning.
It is not the easiest routine, getting me ready to sit up in my wheelchair. It involves a bed bath, exercises, toileting routines, leg bag straps, corsets, getting me dressed – so much more. And my friends all know that when they help me, they are really serving God. And I tell them that they are ministering to me, the least of the brethren. So often, after I am up and we part company for the day, we will end with a song.
I do recall, though, when there was one woman, that, she did not serve the Lord with gladness. To her, getting me up in the morning was her chance to unload problems. The minute she would arrive in my bedroom to help me; she saw it as an opportunity to tell me all her woes and everything that was going wrong. And nothing I said was able to cheer her up. Oh, sure, she was mechanically helping me; yeah, she was serving, and she was sitting me up in my wheelchair; but her sullen spirit made the morning harder than most. And finally, after about a couple of months, I just had to tell this girl that it was – that this was not a good fit. It just isn’t working, her taking time to help me. And then I told her why: being a quadriplegic makes it hard enough getting up in the morning, without starting the day with problems and complaints. I feel badly about this, but she knew it was right.
But to serve the Lord with gladness, ah, now there’s a glorious occupation. Those who do not serve God with a glad heart cancel out all the benefits their service could have won them. Charles Spurgeon puts it this way. He said, “Those who serve God with a sad countenance, because they do what is unpleasant to them, are not serving Him at all; they bring the form of homage, but the life is absent. Our God requires no slaves to grace His throne; He is the Lord of the empire of love and would have His servants dressed in … joy. The angels of God serve Him with songs, not with groans; a murmur or a sigh would be mutiny in their ranks. That obedience which is not voluntary is disobedience, for the Lord looks at the heart, and if He sees that we serve Him from force, and not because we love Him, He will reject our offering. Service coupled with cheerfulness is heart service, and therefore [service that is] true.”
Well, Spurgeon has it right there. So, let me ask you, do you serve the Lord with gladness? Come on, let’s show the people of the world, who think our obedience to God is only slavery; let’s show them that serving Him is a delight for us; it's a joy! And let our gladness prove it; yeah, that we're serving a good and a glad master.
SHAUNA: Oh, friend, these are such good words from our dear Joni, who loves sharing hope through hardship. If you know someone who serves God cheerfully, then share this program with them, won’t you? I just know it’ll be a great encouragement. You can find this program and so much more at joniradio.org. And one more thing, thank you for confirming just how wonderful God is by your happy attitude when you serve!
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