Mike’s Musings …
And So It Begins
Today is the first Lord’s Day of 2024: that is, the first first day of the week, known as the Lord’s Day. Thus far, we’ve been blessed with six days we call “Monday through Saturday.” I muse as to whom those days belonged. Jehovah provided them to us that we might occupy them for good: good for our family’s needs, good for the increasing of our physical health, good for easing our minds, and good for His cause! Thus, we’ve now been granted seven days (if indeed this is being read on January 7) and we think only one of them belongs to the Lord? By what standard of righteousness do we prove six of them are ours and only one of them His?
Did you know 2024 is a “Leap Year?” Yes, I’ve checked and the phenomenon of 366 days in a year instead of 365 is scheduled to occur; the “extra day” arrives at the end of February. However, since the first day of the year came on Monday, there remain only fifty-two Sundays in the year. Now, what will you do with the “extra day?” Will it be a day of work, relaxation, pleasure, or another day devoted to the service of Almighty God? If the latter, just how many “Lord’s Days” will that grant you for service in His cause?
As I mused on this reality, the thought came to me that ATTITUDE is what motivates us toward any righteous task. The more enthused we are toward accomplishing a work, the more energy and dedication we give to the project. That is true regardless of temporal or spiritual work. Someone once said, “If you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.” Some folks go about their secular work with such an attitude. Why not do this with our SPIRITUAL work? Yes, I know that faith without work is dead (James 2:17). But if we LOVE what we’re doing, it doesn’t seem like work: it is a true pleasure to serve God in whatever righteous way we can! As we begin this new year, what is our ATTITUDE toward serving God? Do we emulate the attitude of the psalmist who shouted, “I was glad when they said unto me, Come, let us go into the house of the Lord.” (Ps. 122:1)? Or are we more akin to the lazy and apathetic attitude of “I guess I have to do it.”
I muse on the ATTITUDE we express regarding our faithfulness to God. It must never be one of drudgery or disgust. Instead, our attitude should motivate us to excitedly engage in every task with a smile, and a heart of gladness, knowing we have been blessed to live another day in this world, and therein to show by word and deed our allegiance to Christ Jesus and Jehovah, our Father. No one will ever serve God too often or too much. Only the righteous serve Him with gladness, love, and zeal. Let us therefore begin and never diminish serving Him with an attitude of thanksgiving that we have yet another opportunity to prove our love for God the Father, Christ His Son, and the kingdom to which we belong: the church of Christ!