By Gary Woodall
We are all servants. We serve something or someone. We may think that we don’t or that we serve ourselves, but ultimately, we all serve, and we all serve either God or Satan.
No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth (Matthew 6:24,NASB). (Some translations say mammon or money)
This is not just true about wealth or money. You can fill in any sin, any material thing, or any person in place of wealth or money in this passage and it should not and cannot replace serving God if you expect to be saved.
It is God that is to be served.
Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY'” (Matthew 4:10, NASB).
I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. “For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them (Revelation 7:14-15, NASB).
You and I (those of us who “have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (vs. 14) – that is those of us who have been baptized to wash away our sins – will serve God in eternity. Verses 16 and 17 go on to tell us we will not hunger or thirst or be wearied by the sun or heat, we will have no more tears, and that we will serve God in eternity.
We are to serve God here and now and then in heaven for evermore. It seems like a good idea to decide to love to serve God. It’s a lot more fun when you love it. Make 2021 a year you abound in the work of the Lord (I Cor 15:58)!