Be Sweet

Another prayer from Grandpa Francis on service:

O LORD, renew our spirits and draw our hearts to thyself, that our work may not be in us a burden but a delight, and give us such a mighty love for THEE as may sweeten our obedience. Oh, let us not serve THEE with the spirit of bondage, as slave, but with the cheerfulness and gladness of children, delighting ourselves in THEE and rejoicing in THY work.

Work is work. That's why they call it work. Serving GOD is work. But I remember Warren Beatty telling Oprah that success meant not knowing whether you were working or having fun.

So is it the same way with serving THE LORD? In 1 Chronicles 28:9 (NIV) King David says: "And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the GOD of your father, and serve HIM with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for THE LORD searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek HIM, HE will be found by you; but if you forsake HIM, HE will reject you forever."

In other words, the LORD will know where your heart is. HE knows everything, anyway. JESUS adds an interesting perspective in Matthew 21:28-31:

“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’

“‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.

“Which of the two did what his father wanted?”

“The first,” they answered.

JESUS said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you."

JESUS is addressing the people with a false heart towards GOD. Some people will say anything, but fail on the follow-through. Others will protest their burdens, but they'll go through with them. Notice JESUS doesn't focus on the attitude, but the outcome. Not that attitude isn't important -- ultimately it's going to determine whether there's a follow-through. Having a heart for GOD should ultimately affect your attitude, even on those days when you don't feel like following GOD's principles, going to church, praying, reading the Bible, or otherwise keeping up the relationship. GOD understands there will be times when we're tempted to run off the rails, but HE says there's always a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13).