Serve Gladly

Worship the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.
Psalm 100:2 (NIV)

Do you see service as work or as worship?

When you go to Chic-Fil-A and make an order, what is the response you always hear? No matter who it is, you’ll hear the phrase: “My pleasure.” These employees have been trained to take delight in serving you. Service with a smile turns a simple fast-food experience into a delight.

In Psalm 100:2, the Hebrew word for “worship” literally means, “to serve.” Many times we forget that service is an act of worship. When you serve others, it is holy worship to God. 

In this verse, the psalmist is also saying you are to serve gladly. It is to be “my pleasure” to serve you. God calls you to serve others happily. When you drive to work each day, load the dishwasher, or play with your grandchildren, you are to do so with a song in your spirit and a spring in your step. “Come before Him with joyful songs.”

 Your joy and delight in serving is an indicator of your maturity in Jesus, it helps you know that you are growing or indicates that you have more room to grow. Are you happy to serve others? Begin to serve and thank God for each opportunity. Your heart for service will grow so that you turn ordinary activities into daily delight.

Modeling a life of joyful service, Mother Teresa once said: “We cannot do great things on this earth, only small things with great love.” God is not asking you to go and change the whole world, He is asking you to serve your children, honor your parents, and be kind to your neighbor. 

When you are faithful to serve in small ways each day, God will use you in a big way. You may never know the impact of your kindness at the checkout or your patience over the phone, but you can take comfort in the promise of 1 Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

What will happen as you begin to see service to God as worship of God? Think of the impact you will have in your church, your community, and in the world when you are faithful to do small things with great love.

Prayer: Dear God, I want to worship You by serving others in Your Name. Please open my eyes and heart to the opportunities You place in my path today to love and serve others. Give me a heart of compassion and a spirit of boldness to share Your love with others. In Your Name I pray, Amen.