Wholehearted Service

"We live by faith,

not by sight.

We are confident, I say,

and would prefer to be away from the body

 and at home with the Lord.

So we make it our goal to please him,

whether we are at home in the body or away from it.

For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ,

that each one may receive what is due to him

for the things done while in the body,

whether good or bad."

2 Corinthians 5:7-10

We will stand before the Perfect Judge without fear or trepidation, knowing that our sins have been covered by the blood of the Lamb.  (Romans 8:1)  Instead of deciding whether we will live or die, He will dole out rewards for the way our lives were conducted on earth.  (2 Timothy 2:5, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

My heart is ultimately important to God and it will be what He uses to determine my prize.  Consequently, it must be my goal while in this temporary world to please God above all things.

Do as Unto the Lord

He worked diligently for over 100 years, carefully following God's directions:  He gathered enough cypress wood to build a vessel that stretched to a length of 1 1/2 football fields, coating the entire thing with pitch, inside and out.  On the interior, he created three levels of decks and cut a door in the side. (Genesis 6:9-21)

Noah was out to please God and God alone.  There is no other explanation for his dedication to the task the Lord had given him to complete, as absurd as it was to build a ship in the middle of dry land.  Noah and his family must have been the butt of all the jokes, withstanding much ridicule and scorn.  This man, however, was only concerned with doing his best for God, not winning a popularity contest. (Colossians 3:23)

In the same way, a heart dedicated to pleasing God is a heart that is approved by Him.  If I want to receive a favorable reward, I must forget about trying to be popular and focus on doing my best for God, even if it means no human ever notices my effort.

Thinking of every deed I perform as if it were done for the Lord will result in wholehearted service that will bring about a reward in heaven. (Ephesians 6:7-8)

Fully Committed

He danced with all his heart, wanting nothing more than to show his love and adoration to God.  This was how he approached everything; with complete abandon and devotion to the One who created him.  David could never be thought of as unenthusiastic. (2 Samuel 6:14)

There are times when I, unlike David, only give a half-hearted attempt.  I go through the motions of reading the Word or serving His people, but my heart is not fully engaged.  Maybe I'm distracted by worries or caught up in the work of the day.  Whatever the reason, I am not fully giving myself up to the Lord.

A heart fully committed to Him is what God is looking for when deciding what is due to me according to the way I lived my life here on earth.

Held Accountable

The master went away for a long period, leaving each of his servants varying amounts of treasure.  To one he gave five bags of silver, with which the servant immediately went out and invested, earning five more.  To another he gave 2 bags and this faithful servant quickly earned another two bags.  Not wanting to take a risk with his master's money, the final servant took the whole bag entrusted to him and buried it.

When the master came back, he was greatly pleased with the first two servants, but angry at the third who let fear hold him back.  His gift was taken from him and split between the other two faithful men.  (Matthew 25:14-30)

I will be held accountable in a similar way for the gifts, talents and abilities God has bestowed upon me.  When I let fear or doubt hold me back from using them for His glory, I risk displeasing the Lord.  He gave me everything I have for a reason, and it's not just for my own comfort, enjoyment or pleasure.  Instead, I would be wise to look to Him for ways to utilize His blessings for His glory.

The way I spend my time, talent and treasure will come under scrutiny by a God who looks for wholehearted faith.

I can't always see how important my heart is to God, but it is what He will look at when judging my focus, commitment and accountability.  Therefore, I would be wise to cultivate a heavenly mind that desires to please God above all things, does things for Him with complete devotion and uses my gifts wisely.  In this way I will be judged as one who gives wholehearted service to the Lord.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will do my best in all things for God.

When do I go through the motions instead of going all out in my attitude and effort?

How do I waste time out of fear of failure or doubt?