Word for the day "Why do you serve the Lord"?

Psalm 100:2 (NKJV) Serve the LORD with gladnessOne of the most freeing yet forgotten truths of the Christian life is this: God only wants us to serve Him because we want to. He doesn’t demand, or even accept when we do things for Him out of a sense of duty, obligation, fear, or guilt. None of those motivations matter with the Lord. God wants our service, but only if we serve Him with gladness.That’s a radical (and perhaps unwelcomed) concept for many. A lot of people have sacrificed years of service that were done out of obligation and not out of desire. Untold amounts of money, time, and energy have been rendered in the service of the Lord…for the wrong reasons. Why do you serve the Lord or Do you serve the Lord?Many who serve God for the wrong reasons with their lives have been a succession of bitter offerings that don’t bear any fruit. Over time, they get burnt out and their deeds never glorify God or draw others to the Lord. Why? Because the joy and gladness is absent. In fact, these people often drive people away from the Lord because they give off the vibe that anything to do with the Lord is a depressing drudgery. Who would want to follow a God whose servants are so miserable?Point to ponder- God wants us to serve Him because we want to and because we are glad to. It begs the obvious question: What’s the motivation behind our service? Are we doing it because we want to score points with Heaven, to ease a guilty conscience, or to look better than the people around us? Or do we serve because our hearts are overflowing with great joy for God’s love and we want to love the Lord back by serving Him with our whole Heart!Prayer: Most Merciful Master, forgive us if we have tried to serve you out of a sense of obligation, fear, or guilt. Help us remember all that You have done for us, and may that be our motivation to serve You. In Christ name, Amen!Our Leadership team is especially thankful for those of you who provided financial donations and support in the month of October 2017 by partnering with us in efforts to advance the kingdom of God in this 21st century season: Special thanks to Mr. William Wilson, Mr. David Straker, Mrs. Annette Straker, and Ms. Gertrude Scott. Why don't you take the opportunity to write us on our blog and let us know how we are doing in serving you Great people, we'd love to hear from you!Follow me on Twitter @Elder James Baker, as I endeavor to encourage and empower leaders of today and tomorrow!Kingdom Blessings,Pastor James Baker, Jr.Thank you for using the Word Cup devotionals brought to you through Grace and Truth Leadership on (Word press). We are a faith-based, donor-supported ministry. If you have been touched by these daily devotionals, and would like to make a monthly pledge or a special gift of any amount, please use the link below to give as the Lord leads. Thank you so much!http://www.graceandtruthleadership.org/#!donate/vv9e2