It is my prayer that every Christian recognizes the importance of serving God through the way we serve others.  There are few things, if any, that are as emotionally exhilarating, and draining, as the task of serving others.  Having worked in a variety of ministry settings, including various roles within Christian camp ministry, I understand the excitement that often comes with the beginning of a new ministry or ministry season.  I also understand the weariness than can develop when our focus begins to drift away from the ministry of serving and onto ourselves.

This is day one in the fifth week of devotions from the book, “Serving God: Devotions for Active Worship”.  This devotional book is laid out in thirteen weeks of daily devotions with each week wrapped around an aspect of how we can serve others.  Each of these devotions are designed to help a person spend time with God to see how serving others is an act of worship.

Serving God:
Excellence In Everything

“But just as you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us — see that you also excel in this grace of giving.”
Hebrews 3:4-6 (NIV)

What things are you good at doing?  Are you usually more excited about doing things that you already excel at or doing things that take effort to be good at?  Are there areas of serving that you are okay with just getting by in?  Should there be?  How would the way you serve change if you were determined to do everything you could to excel in all things?  What is one area of excellence that you need to work on today?

It can be very tempting to let our excellence in some areas of life keep us from pursuing excellence in all things.  Other times we equate excellence with perfection and conclude that since perfection isn’t possible then excellence can’t be either.  It is when we approach every task we face with an attitude that we are doing it for the Lord, we begin to pursue excellence in all things.  God desires excellence from us in all things not because He is keeping score, but because He deserves our best.

As you pray, ask God to fill you with a desire to serve Him through whatever task is before you.  Pray that you would seek to honor God by giving your best as you serve.

In prayer,

Tom