JOHN SHIRK – Philips Brooks once said, “Duty makes us do things well, but love makes us do them beautifully.”

Sometimes duty gets a bad rap, because of the drudgery that comes from doing things out of a sense of duty. However, having a sense of duty shows that we own up to our responsibilities. What would happen if we put delight into duty? Is that possible?

In 2 Corinthians 9:7, the Apostle Paul was encouraging the church in Corinth to offer gifts to Christians who were in need in Jerusalem. He said, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

If our giving comes only from a sense of duty, we will focus mainly on what needs to be done. We will be bound by the thought, “I have to do this.” We will be motivated by guilt and obligation. This is an unsustainable track for victorious living. If, however, our giving is with delight, we will be freed by the thought, “I get to do this.” We will be moved by love to give with joy. This is a sustainable track for victorious living. We can be a cheerful giver by delighting in the Lord and in His generosity toward us through the gift of Jesus.

That’s today’s Mission Statement for representing Jesus in the world today.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com