National Public Service Day

What a wonderful idea...Public Service Day!  Generally speaking, people are so selfish they do not want to give of their time and effort unless there is a benefit or payment involved.  People of this persuasion are always asking, "What's in it for me?" or "How much will I get paid?"  Of course, yours truly is not exempt from selfishness or asking such questions.  If I were honest, in the back of my mind are the questions, "How much will this cost me?" and "What is the return on my investment?"  These same type of selfish people will also use someone with a giving heart to their own advantage, like a puppet on a string or lap dog, making them feel guilty if they don't perform what is asked or expected of them.  As a result, a sense of discernment is always a good skill to practice.  Both in church and when I formerly attended Alcoholics Anonymous, heavy emphasis was placed on service work, and rightly so.  I liked the phrase, "Getting out of ourselves."  Better yet, this is the giving of ourselves for our fellow man.  A right attitude and condition of the heart is a good place to start as well.  Certainly no one wants to give to or take from a person who does it begrudgingly.  Service (or giving) should be performed with the Love of God and for His glory and honor.  The Bible speaks about giving and the right heart attitude in doing so.  (I'll list a few at the bottom of this post.)  Personally I enjoy giving or performing service work anonymously.  As a sinful man, this guards against gaining fame or credit for my magnanimous generosity.  Seeking credit or self-aggrandizement only corrupts the good God has placed in my heart.  Pride will naturally result, and it is simply downhill from there.  Today is Public Service Day.  To make it easy, I simply call the Public anyone outside of myself.  Why remain myopic, not looking past my own nose to the needs of those around me?  The challenge is to perform a service anonymously, not knowing who will benefit from your work or seeking to take credit or recognition for your time and effort.  The irony of giving of ourselves is we can't out-give God.  I have discovered the more I give, the more I get in return.  According to the Book of Psalms, God owns the cattle on a thousand hills.  If He has to sell a few of them to meet your needs, He will.  Are you up to the challenge?  Enjoy your day of service.

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,
and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, reluctantly or under compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver.
II Corinthians 9:6-7

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.
Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, 
"and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.
Malachi 3:10

For every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.
Psalm 50:10

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