God desires whole-hearted service from his people. The Old Testament verse that Jesus referenced on numerous occasions states: “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deu. 6:5). Unfortunately, I sometimes wonder if we have done a good job instructing Christians, old and young, about what it means to be whole-hearted servants of God, not simply half-hearted or convenience-minded Christians. Consider a few attributes of whole-hearted service.

– Whole-hearted service does not make time for serving God in the midst of everything else that is going on in life; it makes time for everything else in the midst of serving God.
– Whole-hearted service does not go around asking a bunch of preachers/elders for their answers to biblical questions until one is found that is agreeable to one’s desires; it asks God for his answer through his word and leaves any other answer behind.
– Whole-hearted service does not require begging in order for the individual to assist in the work of the church; it influences people to come and seek to assist in the service you are already undertaking.
– Whole-hearted service does not show up on Sunday and leave on Monday; it shows up every day in equal measures.
– Whole-hearted service does not berate preaching of the Gospel that is too long, too short, too Scripture-laden, too deliberate, too direct, or too controversial; it celebrates in the full and complete delivery of God’s word, drinks in the information being provided, and seeks to utilize and grow from it.
– Whole-hearted service does not get upset when nobody knows, sees, or gives recognition for the good deeds that have been accomplished; it knows that the only one who truly matters, and for whose glory those things have been accomplished, sees and acknowledges every good work.
– Whole-hearted service does not come up with all of the myriad reasons why one cannot reach out to others with the Gospel; it comes up with all of the myriad ways by which one can reach out to others with the Gospel, seeking to utilize them in the ways that will be most effective to each individual.
– Whole-hearted service does not care what everyone else thinks about the life you are living and the things that you do; it recognizes that the only one that matters is the one who created you, died for you, lives for you, and is coming again for you.

The whole-hearted servant lives like he’s dying, loves when being hated, blesses instead of curses, drops to his knees instead of climbing on a pedestal, hopes without wishing, yearns without wavering, and dies without worrying.

Are you a whole-hearted servant of God?