"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