“And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. And he said unto another, follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which is at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God,” (Luke 9:57-62).

Serving God is the greatest and wisest decision one can ever make. Some Christians believe in the gospel of prosperity, which assures success and breakthrough, but that is not often the case when you have truly chosen to follow Christ. You are bound to face challenges and tribulations according to the level of your faith, but with God on your side, you don’t have to worry; you will be overcome by the blood of the lamb.  

Seeking him with your whole heart is necessary. Keeping God’s commandments is non-negotiable. We must be at the Lord’s side at all times, engage in the call He has put on our lives, and worship Him fully. Serving God is opposed to a divided service. No man can serve two masters. You cannot worship God and mammon. Serving God is opposed to double-mindedness, for James 1:8 says: “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.” Serving God is opposed to halting between two opinions. It is opposed to turning to the right or left. Your heart must be set aright. “And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God,” (Psalms 78:8). If your heart is not right with God, you cannot be steadfast in his covenant.

Abraham was called out of the land of Ur, where he served Idol, to serve the living God. He believed and obeyed God’s promises of making him a great nation. Serving God in obedience does not mean we should expect to end up in a land flowing with milk and honey, but it is a sacrifice that we must render to the maker of all. The desire to have physical prosperity should not be the reason we are serving God, because the spiritual blessings He showers upon us outweighs the physical.

We must worship God in spirit and in truth, living holy and blameless before Him. God has granted us the gifts and strength to serve Him and work in His ways. As we live for God and always remember His faithfulness, He will surely fulfil all His promises in our lives. Our work here on earth is to honour and glorify God and not men. Our service to God must be rendered in goodwill. 

Being benevolent is worship to God. We can honour and revere God, when we do good to others, as Christians, is a form of worship to God. Jesus describes His coming in Matthew 25:34-46, that the good people will be separated from the bad ones, according to whether they have done well to others or not. 

In our places of work or whoever we work for, let us serve with goodwill, just like Jacob when he worked for Laban. Though Laban was an unbeliever, the promotion of Jacob came from God and nobody could hinder it. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding,” (Proverbs 9:10). Let’s worship God in the beauty of his holiness and all will be well with us.

• The Saint’s Gospel Church Of Christ (Hand of Fire City) Shadow Tabernacle Close, Hand Of Fire City, Olowo-Ina Bus Stop, Ikotun/Igando Road, Lagos Nigeria.

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