serve Him in sincerity and truth;
Insights: Notice with me the second
part of this phrase found in Joshua 24:14b.
We are to serve with sincerity and
truth. One of the sad realities of being a human
being is our ability to deceive others as well as ourselves. Let me try and explain my point by looking at
Luke 16:13. In this verse Jesus said, “No
servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the
other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” Yet the church is full of people who are
attempting to serve both God and [fill in the blank] __________, money, family,
recreation, entertainment, etc. The
reality is because of our sinful nature with which we daily battle, the end
result is we begin to despise our time we have
to give to God. We begin serving out
of duty and not sincerity and truth.
Paul, also using a money illustration, stated in 2 Corinthians 9:7, “Each
one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under
compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Let’s maintain this money illustration for a
moment longer. Think of the money as
your offering of service to the Lord.
When you perform this act of service is it done with a cheerful heart or
under compulsion of obligation? In King
David’s famous Psalm of repentance he wrote, “For you will not delight in
sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken
spirit; a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise (51:16-17).”
The point David was making and I am attempting to echo is that an act of
service, no matter how great and brilliant the world might deem it, is not
accepted by the Father if it is not given in sincerity and truth. The author of Hebrews calls service of this
nature a dead work (6:1) and Paul in his first letter to the church in Corinth
stated that such work is as wood, hay and stubble and would be burned up
(3:12-15). My fear is that much that is
offered in the local church is not done in sincerity and truth, but out of duty
or obligation. I believe these
unaccepted acts of service are given because true, genuine relationship with
the Living Lord is not truly present in many within the church walls. Because of these weak relationships, the
evangelistic mission of the church is suffering. Beloved, be a joyful servant!
Questions:
- Have you chosen to serve the Lord?
- Are you serving Him in sincerity or out of duty?
Prayer: Lord, orchestrate my day in such a manner that I am completely
aware of the areas in which You desire me to serve. Then give me the fortitude to obediently
comply with Your wishes. Amen.
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