Is It Worthwhile Serving God?

Is it worthwhile serving God?

Ever since Christ walked this earth his followers have been persecuted. Most of them have been killed. There are great sacrifices that people make today. Often Christianity is singled out as prejudiced against commonly accepted evil behavior calling them phobic. There are those people in this world who view Christians as stupid and naïve. The Bible tells us there is coming a time during which a great tribulation will be turned on anyone who serve God through Christ as his Son. Anything ranging from ridicule to assassination will happen for Christians since the devil is the prince of the world.

These negative observations bring the question whether it’s worthwhile to serve God. Jesus said for us to lay up treasures in heaven where moth or rust does not corrupt. He also asked what would a man give for his soul? We are at a place in history in which people will be required to choose on which side they stand. A line is being drawn in the sand. Do we serve Christ or not? This means to question anything worthwhile by serving God is actually an irrelevant question. To consider that question requires an earthbound view of life. Service to God requires an eternal and heavenly view.

Many years ago, a test of manhood was for the tribal member to run through a gauntlet. Other men would form a line on each side so they might hit, cut, and bruise the one who seeks the end of the gauntlet. By determination and persistence that man would reach the end of the gauntlet where rewards and recognition await him as a man worthy of respect with dignity. He suffered much as he ran the gauntlet. He might have suffered scars that were with him the rest of his life. Nonetheless it was important to him that he succeeded because of what awaited him at the end.

There are many blessings from serving God. We have the contentment of his Holy Spirit walking through life with us while he offers comfort and guidance. Life can be a dynamic change as people are delivered from alcoholism, drugs, and personality complications. When a person decides to earnestly dedicate himself to God, all else becomes incidental. By putting God as the highest priority, and by reconciling the decisions we make as a means to serve and glorify him, the things of this world are less attractive. Certainly, a believer can stumble or fall, but he has the biblical confirmation that God will always receive him as the prodigal son. There is a definite difference between a person who truly wants God to be the center of his life versus someone who makes himself the center.

This is the same with Christians in this world environment. More and more in America Christians are being ridiculed with some even losing their jobs because they persist in their faith in Christ. In other countries, true believers had to form an underground church so they might worship God in a hostile government environment. In the middle east anyone who proclaims themselves to be a Christian is likely to suffer persecution or death.

All these observations still beg an answer to the question if it is worthwhile serving Jesus. It depends on your point of view. If you ares only interested in the here and now with what you can get for your own sake, the answer is no. On the other hand, if you have an eternal point of view for the sake of your soul that will never die, the answer is yes. It is worthwhile to serve God!

As I said we are living in a time during which decisions need to be made with strong intent. How resolute will professing Christians be? Will persecution and prejudiced separate the men from the boys? The truth of the matter is that Jesus said if they persecuted him, they would persecute us. Following Christ automatically makes one open to persecution. The gain will be realized in eternity. In the book of Revelation, people who become Christians during the tribulation cry out to God wanting to know when they would be avenged against those who cause their death.

It is not a simple matter of saying a ninety second prayer and then patting oneself on the back that they have become a Christian. Being a Christian has responsibilities and benefits. Never did God say that a relationship with him was a walk in the rose garden. We are not alone in this warfare against evil. Our fight against evil is not futile. Our resistance against persecution and prejudice has a purpose with eternity in mind. This writer can speak from personal experience that on one occasion he was released from a job because he was too Christian. The time is coming for us to man up. The time is coming for us to be strong in faith. The time is coming for us to be convinced the God will redeem ourselves and rescue us from this world’s evil. He will return as the conquering King. Until then, turn your journey through the valley into an adventure.