Serving by Grace

Isaiah 6:1-8; Ephesians 3:1-11

“Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” - Colossians 3:23.

The founder of Boy Scouts emphasized the importance of training young people, focusing particularly on serving the community. Many of us are familiar with the Boy Scouts' motto—"Always be prepared." However, we might be less aware of the Cub Scouts' motto, “Do your best!" This isn't just good advice for Scouts; it's biblical advice for life. The Bible encourages us to "do it for God’s glory!"

The Preacher in Ecclesiastes 9:10 states, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” Then, Paul further advises in Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as if you are working for the Lord, not for men.” The Message translation of this verse reads, “Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God” - (Col. 3:23 MSG).

These verses express a heart quality: a willingness to give your all and go the extra mile. We applaud this in athletics, reward it in academics, admire it in character, pay extra for craftsmanship, promote it in business, honor it in life and death, and strive for it in Christianity.

We aim to do our best because we know that God rewards effort, excellence, and endurance. The promise is found in Ephesians 6:8, which says, “The Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does…” One day, in the presence of everyone we've ever met and those we've never met, the Bible tells us we will receive God’s praise.

The parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30 illustrates that God has given each of us talents and gifts to use for the greater good and will reward us accordingly. The King commends fruitful servants with the words: “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!” - (Matthew 25:21). This speaks to what God seeks from us and the importance of doing our best for Him! In contrast, the third servant made excuses and did nothing with the talent he was given because he was afraid of failure. Rather than trying and potentially failing, he chose not to try at all. So, he received a different response because he did not wisely use his talents. Jesus pointed out, “Each was given talents based on his ability” - (Matthew 25:15).

God knows what you’re capable of, too. The Bible states, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” - (Ephesians 2:10). You are God’s handcrafted work of art. You’re not an assembly-line product, mass-produced without thought. You are a custom-designed, one-of-a-kind masterpiece. God carefully orchestrated your unique essence, and He never wastes anything. God would not have given you abilities, interests, talents, gifts, personality, and life experiences unless God intended for you to use them for His glory. Long before you were born, God had a to-do list planned for your life, like Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:5).

The cartoon character Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes aptly stated, “God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things.” He humorously followed up with, “Right now, I’m so far behind I’ll never die.” Many of us feel that way too. If we want to hear Jesus say, “Well done,” we must start using the talents and abilities God has given us to accomplish the “good things He planned for us.”

As we celebrate this day, let us remember that God has equipped us to serve him in any capacity, not for our gains but for God's glory because we are serving by His Grace!