To Delight Or To Demand?

Do we sometimes feel that God is not appreciative of our obedience and sacrifices? It is easy for us to feel unappreciated or entitled to rewards. However, we need to re-examine the assumptions we are holding onto. Are we the ones who first offered God grace, or was it the other way round? And even after carrying out God’s commands, does it benefit God or us? When it comes to serving God and doing His bidding, do we see ourselves as His servants or volunteers; do we serve with the attitude to delight God or to demand from Him? Unless we realise that God is the initiator of grace and we are merely the unworthy recipients of that grace, we will be stuck in a sense of entitlement. But the humble acknowledgement of God’s grace will generate delight in us to serve and please God. It is true that no amount of human obedience can replace Christ’s redemption on the cross to save our souls. However, while duty cannot achieve what only grace can, grace begets duty, such that the recipients of grace will be touched and empowered to fulfill their duty to their Master. God, in His kind grace, can reward us for our service, yet we have no right to demand from Him.

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