Day 4
The principle of rewards is brought out in
many verses in the New Testament. Paul states that
if we render service with good will we will get service
with good will. “Do not be deceived, God is not
mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also
reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall
from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows
to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.
And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due
time we shall reap if we do not grow weary. So then,
while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men,
and especially to those who are of the household of
the faith.” (Galatians 6:7-10) This definitely does not
mean we perform service with good will so that we
will be treated fairly, but we do so regardless of how
we will be treated, because our service is to the
Lord.
Do you give your best to your employer and
place of business? If you are self-employed, do you
give your best to your customers? What is your
motivation for service in your work? Is it your
paycheck or your relationship to Christ? Today,
work and give and relate to others in the work place,
as a testimony of what Christ has done for you.
The Lord knows. Serving Him with all your
heart does not depend on your circumstances. How
do we know that from this verse?
Day 5 Volume 2 Number 18
You are writing a Gospel,
A chapter each day,
ENGAGED
May 1 - 7
By the deeds that you do
And the words that you say.
Men read what you write,
Whether faithful or true:
Just what is the Gospel
According to you?
--- Author unknown
Take a moment to write out yesterday and today’s
chapter of ‘the Gospel according to you’:
The English playwright, Sir John Vanbrugh Ephesians 6:7-8
said, “Virtue is its own reward; there’s pleasure in “…with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to
doing good which sufficiently pays itself.” Does this men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will
characterize your attitude in relationships, or do you receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or
only perform with the expectation of receiving the free.”
same treatment in return? Perhaps this is why Paul Mission Focus: Pray for the success of the Youth Group Golf
points out to servants, as they serve their masters Tournament on May 7. This provides funds for the Japan and
Nashville Mission trips.
that their reward comes from God. The servant
expected nothing, for his master expected service
from him as duty. But Paul calls us to serve from the
heart, a heart of virtue that goes beyond duty, to a
joyful pursuit of excellence. Good grows from a good
heart, and finds joy in it; any other source of
supposed good is selfish. What is the source of
kindness, goodness and acts of charity, in your life? through
In all that we do, we are to serve because that
is the command of the Lord. He sees all. He
rewards all. Why should that change our attitudes
about service?
Day 1
These verses are written to employees
(well…, slaves). Paul clearly commands that
everything we do, in some way, shows how we
feel toward Christ. He shows us here how to live
excellently. Also, to the church of Corinth he
writes, ‘Whether, then, you eat or drink or
whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.’
(1 Corinthians 10:31)
Not only does Paul tell us what to do, but how to
do it. Follow the context from earlier in the
previous chapter:
Wives – Respect as to Christ
Husbands – Love as to Christ
Children – Honor as to Christ
Workers – Good Will as to Christ
Do you see a pattern forming here? It seems as
if we are to treat others as if we are treating
Christ. How well do you process this truth with
your relationships? What about with strangers?
This week’s passage is a difficult one for
most of us to fathom. Paul is giving instruction to
servants as they work for their masters. Now, to
be sure, the passage comes closer to us if we
consider our employer/employee relationships.
But the point could just as well be taken if we
continue in the servant/master mode. The
question as we begin this week’s study is this:
can you humble yourself to be in service to
another, or must you assert your rights as an
equal? Answer this question honestly before you
move beyond today into the rest of the week.
What is the one chore that you hate to
do? What if you thought of it as serving the Lord
instead of doing the chore? Would that make a
difference?
Day 2
Good Will is the Greek word ‘eunoia’. It
describes an eagerness that does not wait to be
compelled. In other words, good will that flows out of
you and does not have to be coerced or forced or
faked. You know, like when parents make children
smile at each other when they are fighting. You can
tell when someone is trying to be a schmoozer and
render service that is not from the heart. If you can
read through that, don’t you think others can read it
from you? The best way to convince people your
service (work) is genuine is to sincerely do it as to the
Lord. So then, we want to do ‘good will service’ for
those around us so that we might earn the
opportunity to share our hope and joy with them. In
your daily life, do you look for opportunities to share
Christ with your employer, co-workers, cashiers at
the store or anyone else you might be able to render
good will to?
In a society that emphasizes egalitarianism,
the Scriptures still call us to be like Christ, who made
Himself of no reputation, and took upon Himself the
form of a servant (Philippians 2). Do you find the
thought of intentionally placing yourself in a lesser
position difficult? Does it help to remember what
Christ did in placing Himself in your place as a sinner
and a lawbreaker, taking your punishment? Today,
read what He says in Luke 22:24-26.
When was the last time that you did
something half-heartedly? What happened? Why
would doing that thing wholeheartedly have been
better for you and everyone else?
Day 3
Render service in Greek is one word,
‘douleuo’. It simply means ‘servant’. We are to
perform service to others as if we are indebted to
them. WHAT? We go through life and act as if
everyone is indebted to us. This is not God’s
way. I can think of two ways in which a person
can come to be in debt. The first is to borrow
something from someone. For instance, I might
go to a friend and borrow $100. I would be
indebted to them because I had taken from them
something that belonged to them. Another way I
could be indebted to another person is if
someone handed me $100 and asked me to give
the money to a specific person. If I take the $100
from the first person, I am now under obligation
and indebted to deliver the money to that specific
person to whom I owe the $100. Such is the
case Paul speaks of in Romans 1:14-15. He had
received the Gospel from God and God has now
entrusted Paul (and us) to deliver the Gospel to
the rest of the world. Do not act surprised that
we are indebted to the world, just render service
with good will. How well do you do in
accomplishing your delivery of the Gospel to the
World?
Notice what this week’s verses say about
the rewards of living in excellence, and service.
When do these rewards come? From whom do
they come? Have you ever practiced relating to
someone based upon your relationship to Christ?
How can this attitude help in relating to difficult
people, especially if you have to humble yourself
to do it?
Are you surprised that Paul tells the
slaves to serve as if serving the Lord, and not the
slave owners to free them? What is going on
here?