The Joy of Service

As I watched my son in law whirl around my grandson in the air I, enjoyed the screams of glee from my grandchild, and the loving smile and tender twinkle in his fathers eyes. In a family these are the moments we all live for. Those times of complete and utter joy.  The contentment of being joined in that moment. Where all is Love, peace and Joy.

It is this same joy which we should have in our service to the Lord as He leads us by His Spirit.  

If you follow my writings you may notice a common theme of the importance of waiting prayer and obedience. However, I must make it clear lest some misunderstand~ that a prayerful and obedient life need not be mournfully downcast and stoic in nature. And my nature would definitely not be described in that manner.

No! If we have been with the Lord and led of His Spirit we are joined with Him and filled with His love and joy.  

                           "You will show me the path of life;
                     In your presence is fullness of joy;
                   At your right hand are 
                     pleasures forevermore."
                                                                   Psalm 16:11

When we walk according to what He has shown us is right, we maintain that unbroken bond of union with Him, and can't help but enter into that joyfulness.

When my grandson does something disobedient or willfully wrong, in which he knows he is going against what his father has said, there is a following dicipline, a teaching time and a 'time out' in his case. He also notices that the smile and joy from his fathers face is gone, and so is his. His father is nearby, but there is a separation. In some cases it is accompanied by tears and sorrow of his own.


How plainly this matches with our relationship with the Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been sent to us to lead us into all truth.

         " But "the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit,      

whom the Father will send in my name, 

               he shall teach you all things, and bring all things 

                       to your remembrance, whatsoever I                             

 have said unto you."  (Jesus)  John 14:26

When we are walking in obedience to what the Spirit of God is showing us. In how we are to live unto Him, unto ourselves, unto others, then we have that unbroken communion. The closeness of heart to heart and true joy.

God will always love us, but our behavior sometimes causes a distance to be placed between us. If we are willing, the Holy Spirit reminds us of His word or reveals something to bring us into understanding.  Then if we are obedient to repent, we are right back in that joy of communion.

Because we have this joy of communion, our service unto God is a pleasant one.  We are not his slaves, but servants by choice. Whatever He shows us to do we put our hands to gladly knowing that the Spirit of God is working through us to get the job done or to touch that person He wants us to. 

So we go to the service to which He has called us each individually. (and what He calls one to may not be the same as what He calls another to.)  We go not with long, sour faces but in the joy of the Lord. We put our hands to it with a contagious joy. A joy which comes from our lasting communion with Him. A joy that creates a questioning hunger and thirst in others seeking the truth. A joy which will draw them to Christ.