Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Balancing Service And Love
Recently, I was speaking to someone who has encountered some struggles in their spiritual life. During this conversation I felt impressed to share a thought and I want to pass it along to you. Our relationship with the Lord should be much like a happy marriage but, what makes a marriage provide happiness? Two things that one must give in a marriage, is service and love. Normally, service does not bring the greatest happiness, but rather love. I serve my husband when I make his bed, do his laundry, and serve him a home-cooked meal. This service is appreciated, but my husband desires my love more. Often times we serve God, but forget to love Him. We offer service to Him when we teach a Sunday School class, drive a bus, clean the church, play an instrument, and the list can go on and on. Yet, more than all the service we willingly and cheerfully give, He desires our love even more. How do I love Him? When I enter into His presence, I pour my love and adoration to Him through worship. I brag about Him to others and make known He is the love of my life. Many have learned how to serve, but love seems to be something foreign. For others, their time to love is eaten by their service. To strengthen your relationship with the Lord, evaluate your time of service and love and make sure it has a healthy balance.
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True, but by same token I'm not sure there can be genuine love without there also being service. As you said there must be "a healthy balance." We need Matha's hands and Mary's heart.
ReplyDeleteMark - what a great response. I believe service is present when there is genuine love. This thought came to me while counseling a young lady and I felt strongly that God had given those words for her. Later, however, I was contemplating the thought and I begin to think there are several that attend church services, will do a job when asked, but they never show expressions of love to God. I think your last sentence is really the best way to put it - "We need Martha's hands and Mary's heart."
ReplyDeleteI do like the way Brother Pryor sums it up in the last line. In this O.T. verse, the children of Israel are instructed to love and serve the Lord. I believe love and service go hand in hand.
ReplyDeleteDeu 10:12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
Hi, Carol - I like that verse you presented. I think we are all in agreement we need a healthy balance of love and service, but do you find in your church there are several people who are out of balance? The people that come to my mind are wonderful people who actually enjoy service and are not afraid to work, but they seem so far removed from loving God it causes me to worry.
ReplyDeleteSis. Allard, Your post and Bro Pryor's response both are very powerful. Then Carol topped it off with a great scripture.
ReplyDeleteMy prayer is that I don't get so distracted with all my preparations in doing service for the Lord that I forget the one thing that is most needful as it is said Luke 10:42. I want to be like Mary in Luke 10:39 who was found seated at the Lord's feet. I want there to be a balance in my life for the kingdom of God.
Jolene - your comment made me think of the song "At Your Feet." "...there is no place I'd rather be..." Then, I thought of when someone is young and in love, they want to stay on the phone for hours, sit close all day, etcetera, but when reality sets in there is still work to be done. Those that are young and in love, don't serve as well as they should. At some point in a good relationship, a good balance is achieved between work and play, service and love. People can be out of balance in either direction, but it is most common the imbalance is not enough love. Even with children, parents work hard for them all day and are then sometimes too tired to give them the loving attention they need.
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