"Do It Heartily, As To The Lord"       

Colossians 3:23

     God will never accept the forced labor of a slave or the hired labor of a mercenary. He will not receive that which is performed because of the fear of punishment or the hope of reward. He will only receive that which is done freely, voluntarily, from a heart of love and gratitude. You will never do anything for God, or anything that will be accepted of God through the merits of Christ, until you serve him with a willing heart (II Cor.8:12). This is why we do not try to force people to do anything in the service of Christ. If you give, give cheerfully, as the Lord has prospered you. If you prefer not to give, no gifts will be solicited. If you attend the services of divine worship, do so because you need and want to worship God. If you prefer to do something else, no one will twist your arm to make you come to church. If you witness, witness for the glory of Christ, because you care for the souls of men. If you have no interest in those things, you will not be required to visit so many homes a week. If the grace of God ever gets hold of your heart you will do all these things and more, not because you have to, or because you are expected to, but because you want to.

 

Don Fortner