Luke 17:10—So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, “We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.”
Often when people ask me how I am doing, I will respond by saying, "Better than I deserve." It is not a response I created. I learned it from Paul Drake, a saint who epitomizes the word faithful. When asked how he is doing, whether circumstances are good or trying, Paul can be counted on to say, "Better than I deserve."
Duty is a tough word and a resilient concept. When times are difficult and people suffer, duty gains respect. Just ask the generation of those Americans who grew up during the Great Depression and World War II era. They worked hard and long hours to survive and provide for their families when money was hard to obtain. Many senior citizens today have an outstanding work ethic because of what they learned through suffering.
Conversely, when the economy is cranking and people are well off, duty is less popular. Personal satisfaction, the "right to play" takes priority over the compulsion to meet a moral/job-related obligation. If you want to measure the state of a society, sample its sense of duty. The spiritual health of a church can also be gauged according to its faithfulness to obey God or its penchant to do only what is appealing.
Those who model a strong sense of duty often have a healthy understanding of grace. When we appreciate the fact that God loved us so profoundly that He would send Jesus to die for our sins, we have a heightened appreciation for what it means to serve Him! As sinners we don’t deserve grace. Yet if our faith is in Jesus Christ we are justified. We are declared free of blame because He took our sins on His own back. Therefore, when we serve we ought to serve with joy. We ought to work hard and faithfully because no matter what we are going through, we are blessed!
So don’t be discouraged! Keep on serving faithfully! By God’s grace, you are doing better than you deserve. If you are slacking, get off the bench and back in the game! We glorify God by being faithful and that’s something to think about . . . in
If duty is disagreeable, it is a sign that we are in a disjointed relationship to God . . .
Inspiration
