Serving with Joy

Thursday 1/18/18 4:05 AM

This is the opening prayer for my devotional material this week. “Heavenly Father, as the day dawns and calls me to my labors I ask you to enable me to gladly do the work to which you beckon me. May I do it as a servant of Christ doing the will of God from my heart.” Over the years I have been blessed with work that definitely enables me to do it gladly. While my work as a teacher involves some things that I do not like very much, like the meeting I have to attend today, overall, I love my work and it brings me great joy.

My psalm for the week is Psalm 90, which includes these words. “Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble.” My early morning time of meditating on God sets the tone for my day and allows me to live joyfully, knowing God is with me in everything.

Basil Pennington’s words in A Place Apart are a good reminder for me today. “You have your work. It will be more meaningful for you, whatever it may be, if you take all the opportunities it affords to serve and give joy to others; if you reverence the things you work with and are conscious that your working with them gives them an opportunity to express themselves at a higher level through your activity and love; if you share some of the fruit of your labor with those less fortunate; it you do all for the love and glory of the heavenly Father, knowing then that your work is part of the transformation of the whole creation, including especially yourself.” I need to change my attitude about my meeting today. Rather than being annoyed that I have to attend it I need to look for opportunities to serve those in my department and to bring them joy.