Service is an Attitude, not an action.

            This weekend was enlightening.  In the Diehards bible study we had a discussion on the 6 woes in Luke chapter 11.  Then on Sunday the sermon covered what Jesus had to say to the pharisees.  The culmination of which was an eye opener to the world of legalism within the church.  Pastor Barry did a great job of pointing out where churches go wrong.  How they elevate good ideas and practices to must haves for salvation.  The one thing I think that could be added is a simple idea and basis.  The why we do the good things we do, our motivation.
            While it is true the bible says to tithe, it is very clear on one point.  It isn't about the money or the amount, it is about the attitude.  Do you give because God orders it and thus you give exactly 10%?  Or do you give because you truly love God, want to please him, and feel that he has a better use for it and thus tend to give extra either through rounding up liberally or just giving generously?  Do you do the right thing because it is the right thing to do or because brother so and so might be watching?  Do you volunteer at church because the church may or may not need you or because the deacon board might see you?  Do you pray out loud to be heard by others or to be heard by God?
            But they are all good, what difference does the motivation make?  Simple, if the motivation is to be noticed, then it is a selfish motivation and not a Godly one.  Eventually, that person will be noticed for the wrong reason or worse, cause hurt to another Christian who has the right motivation.  Someone who does things for the right reasons and unselfish love of God, while they may eventually err, is always quick to admit their errors and will do what they must to correct them.  The selfish one will blame others.
            When you do things to be noticed, you make yourself the focus and not the task.  When serving God, the service and God must always be the focus.  Once you start focusing on yourself, you trivialize God.  That is not a good thing.    The Pharisees forgot that.  They followed the rules that elevated themselves and did things out of a look at me attitude.  This led to hypocrisy running rampant among them.  It was noticed by the people, but the Pharisees were oblivious to it.  When we make rules to follow and things to do based on good principles and then judge others by how well they adhere to our made up rules, we are asking God to humble us.  Personally, I think I would rather avoid that.  God has a way of humbling us that no of us like.  He is especially harsh with those who claim to follow him.  As one man said, "if you are a child of God, you best be on your knees praying regularly or God will bring you to your knees some other way."  Several places in the Bible state that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is lord.  You can do it voluntarily or have God do it for you.  Personally, I would rather do it myself and save myself the pain and embarrassment.
            Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.