| Scripture: Romans 12:11 |
| Highlight:Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically |
| Explain: Paul tells us that we are to live our lives as a sacrifice to God, then fleshes out what that means in a series of practical instructions for our everyday life. V.11 addresses how a disciple who is living as a sacrifice should work for God. He tells us not to be lazy but to serve Christ with great enthusiasm. |
| Apply: There are at least three ways to do our work for the Lord. We can: Be lazy – That is, we can NOT do our work and find excuses for our neglect. Paul says that this is something that we should “never” do. Instead we should work hard!Check the box – That is, we can go through the routine of our work with a disconnected heart. This will take us through our “list” of tasks, but will not really be effective at achieving the spiritual impact God has designed for us. For instance, we can preach, walking through our outline, but not have any spiritual power.Surrender as we serve – Paul says here that we should serve “enthusiastically.” An alternate reading offered by the NLT is “let the Spirit excite you as you serve.” I like that reading! Instead of being lazy or checking the box, we can consciously surrender to the Spirit as we are serving and be intentionally surrendered to His work IN us as He works THROUGH us. |
| Respond Today I will serve with an intentional surrender to the Spirit! |
Romans 12
Published
Peace Church HEAR Journal blog 