Friday, May 1, 2015

Serve the Lord with Gladness!


Do you serve the Lord with gladness? Would your children describe you as a joyful mother? Would your husband say you are a happy wife? What about your friends, neighbors, and those you meet in the grocery store? Are you causing others to think that being a Christian is the MOST wonderful thing in the world?

When you wake up, sing out loud, "This is the day, this is the day that the Lord hath made, that the Lord hath made. Let us rejoice, let us rejoice and be glad in it, and be glad in it!" In this way, you are mentally reminding yourself of what your behavior should look like. I have this verse written next to my prayer list so I read it every day, "so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God" {Colossians 1:10}. We must renew our minds daily of God's goodness and our purpose in this life.

When you make your bed, thank the Lord for giving you such a comfortable bed. When you take a shower or bath, thank the Lord for hot water. Before every meal, thank the Lord for His provision of you. Begin thanking Him throughout your day and you will be unable to have a sour, unhappy mood.

When your day is unexpectedly interrupted with different plans, believe that these are God's interruptions in your life and use them for His glory. When you are stuck in traffic, He may be saving you from a horrible accident. When your plane is delayed for hours, He is still in control so trust Him. When your child comes down with the flu and you are up all night, remind yourself that when you are rocking and serving your sick child, you are serving the Lord.

When you wake up weary from not getting enough sleep, rely on the Lord's strength to get you through the day. I have had MANY sleepless nights and the Lord always gets me through. The next night, I usually sleep nine wonderful hours! He restores the years the locusts have eaten. 

When you are injured or ill, use these times to rest in Him knowing that he has you in the palm of His hand. Use this time to grow in the wisdom and knowledge of Him, to pray for all those who need prayer and show your family that you can be sick, tired or injured and still remain pleasant because you can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens you!

Serve the LORD with gladness;
 Come before Him with joyful singing.
Psalm 100:2

Comments (10)

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A good post - why do we need to be reminded to be thankful? We are just like the Israelites going through the wilderness, with a bent to grumbling.
1 reply · active 517 weeks ago
Yes, Maria, even thought we live in the wealthiest country in the history of the world. We are commanded to be joyful in all circumstances knowing that He is still in control.
Thank you Lori for that reminder. I have had a grumbly week.Too much Martha and not enough Mary- I know my husband would rather come home to a happy wife and a little less perfectionism and weariness. Angela
2 replies · active 517 weeks ago
Yes, he would, Angela! I always remind myself that "The joy of the Lord is my strength" because our true happiness and joy is to be found in knowing Him and remembering all that He does for us!
I sent my husband a text at work and apologized. He sent one back saying he loved me. Being in the will of the Lord is always a much sweeter place. How can I so easily forget that?
This reminds me something I'm now embarrassed about. Before I began truly submitting to my husband, I was never really nice or joyful to him. But I was to everyone else, even strangers would get my friendliest smile and disposition. My husband would get whatever was left, which usually wasn't much. Now I try and give him my best, while still being nice and polite to everyone else. Once in a while I still have a bad day where I tend to go back to that old pattern. I really have to watch myself if I'm getting stressed. Another thing I notice is that if I go a day without Bible reading or prayer, I'm more irritable and less joyful, so I strive to do those things every morning. Thanks for your helpful and encouraging words!
1 reply · active 517 weeks ago
You're not alone, Katie. I was just thinking this morning how I always felt like I was a very joyful person except for around Ken. I thought he was the cause of my losing joy. Ha! Little did I realize that I was the cause of losing my joy. The first thing I did was to begin smiling at him, even if I didn't feel like it. It changed the dynamics of our relationship! It's amazing how little things can mean SO much.
I just returned from a foreign country. I took very short showers because of the lack of hot water. The government turned off the electricity 2-6 hours a day, making me rush to get laundry done, water boiled for tea, candles and matches found. The bed was as hard as a slab. It was cold, and the houses have no heating and insulation. I'm glad to be home.
1 reply · active 517 weeks ago
Welcome back to the comforts of the USA! Perhaps you were on a missions trip or at least have now experienced what many missionaries give up of the niceties of life to serve the Lord with gladness. We are blessed in the US to the point of being spoiled.

I grew up with no hot water and at times only electricity in the evenings by a generator. One of the worst places I lived had the hot water and electricity, but at the end of the block was where the neighborhood poured out their waste pots at night, so the stench could be quite bad. As a kid, you don’t think much about it as life is what it is, but after being spoiled, what will we do if and when the day comes we lose our niceties? Hopefully, not weep and howl as those who have no hope of an eternal life, but instead be grateful for the many years of plenty we experienced. Knowing how much of the world lives in poverty gives a better perspective in life. Everyone should go experience a trip like yours at least once in life.

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