By Christopher Dryden
Serve the Lord with gladness.
Psalm 100:2 ESV
Our response to grace is proof of the presence of grace. Part of that response is highlighted in the call to worship seen in Psalm 100. And in that call to worship there’s that fascinating call to serve the Lord with gladness. As a response to grace, let’s explore that concept a bit further.
How would someone behave if they received a great gift? Birthdays see that in operation. There’s excitement about the day coming. There’s eagerness and a rush to see what’s arrived on the day. There’s the wrapped package, there’s the guess as to what’s in the package and then there’s bursting open the package to see what the gift is and then there’s the squeals of delight at what it is to the point that most of the neighbourhood can gather you got something good. There’s the bouncing around at the gift you’ve received because it’s not just what you wanted, but better than that. And you cannot wait to get going with it. And as you get into it there’s no hiding the sheer delight of getting to use that which means more to you than anything for that time.
Appreciate what grace is: how it saves us, how it liberates us, how it enables us, how it takes shame and guilt from us, how it comes in overflowing measure and abounds in everything we do for God, how it reflects the wondrous love God has for us and how, as we grow in it, we have a better appreciation of God. Appreciate this glorious gift and how all of that is just the tip of the iceberg. When this is studied, absorbed, and applied, what happens, like the child at birthday time, is an energy that comes from God and is expressed in an undeniable enthusiasm. It’s not always about bouncing around with glee. It is about the light that shines as we work in partnership with God by His Spirit to display the joy He gives deep inside us.
This is the life of Christ in us. The very word “enthuse” finds its roots in an understanding of an injection of the life of God that sparks us into doing and being everything pleasing to Him that reflects His life in us. That helps us to serve the Lord with gladness.
No wonder we can rejoice when going through persecution and suffering. We go through it because we’re found worthy to be persecuted for righteousness. We rejoice because of the joy that awaits those who endure the suffering for the greater prize ahead and who give us the energy we need to thrive and grow where we’re planted.
This is not whipping up emotions and hyping ourselves to do something out of our man-centred desire for control. This is the expression of the grace of God as His Spirit in us causes us to do and be what He calls us to do and wants us to be. He is at work in us and so we work with enthusiasm all by His grace. That’s something worth getting excited about in anticipation of the return of the one who gives us joy.
Ask: What does it mean to serve the Lord with gladness?
Seek: Have you noticed the difference between doing things with your own strength and doing things because of the life of God in you by His Spirit? How would you encourage someone else to consider the difference?
Knock: List the various things God has called you to do and be. Recommit yourself to responding to the grace of God by serving Him with gladness in all these areas.
(Upper Photo by Spencer Davis on Unsplash)
(Inner Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash)
